Fabrication And Performance Evaluation Of Cold Storage System

2.5    Indoor Storage of Fruits and Vegetables
    There are many areas in dwellings that naturally provide, or can be adapted to provide, a variety of temperature and moisture conditions for storage.  Assess your specific situation; if possible, use a thermometer to monitor temperature in various area of your building during fall and winter to find locations that are convenient and most readily adaptable for storage food.
    Any spot that is sufficiently and evenly cool (32 – 600f) can be adapted for some type of food storage.  The relative humidity for these locations will also affect what can be store there.  Basements are generally the most logical place to adapt.  Older home are often less well-insulated, and have pantries, back halls, enclose porches, sheds and bulkheads which are adaptable to storage.  Home heated with wood stoves often have a central area of radiant warmth and peripheral areas that are considerably cooler (Isenberg, 2004).
The management of product in and outflow which should follow the ‘First In, First Out’ principle (FAO 2009).
The following point should therefore be considered:
2.5.1 Temperature Management for Fruits and Vegetable
According to the information of the (FAO 2009), cold storage facility should be cooled to the storage temperature required at least three days before produce is being entered.
2.5.2 Chilling Injury for Fruits and Vegetables
Some produce, especially on tropical origin, is sensitive to chilling which means it will incur physiologically damages if stored at a certain time period below a certain temperature but above freezing points.  In general, the longer the time period that produce is exposed to temperature below their level of chilling sensitivity and the lower the temperature, the faster damage will occur.  It should also be noted that effect can be of a cumulative nature, i.e. the time period of storage below the level of chilling sensitivity add up even if produce is stored at optimal conditions in between.  Several factors, such as the level of maturity and the level of ripeness at the point of harvest can affect chilling sensitivity (FAO 2009).
Common visual symptoms:
i.    Surface lesions (pitting, large sunken areas and discoloration)
ii.    Water soaking (disruption of cell structure and accompanying release of substrate favors the growth of microorganism)
iii.    Internal discoloration of the pulp
iv.    Failure to ripen in the expected pattern
v.    Accelerated rate of senescence
vi.    Increased susceptibility to decay
vii.    Compositional changes (FAO 2009)