Cold Storage & Transport Refrigeration

Many fruits, and vegetables are perishable, and their storage life can be extended by refrigeration. Fruits, many vegetables and processed meat, such as sausages, are stored at temperatures just slightly above freezing to prolong their life.
Other meats, fish, vegetables, and fruits are frozen and stored many months at low temperatures until they are defrosted and cooked by the consumer.
The frozen-food chain typically consists of the following links: freezing, storage in refrigerated warehouses, display in a refrigerated case at food markets, and finally storage in the home freezer or frozen-food compartment of a domestic refrigerator.
Fruits and vegetables should be frozen quickly after harvesting and meats frozen quickly after slaughter to maintain high quality. Truckload and railcar-load lots are then moved to refrigerated warehouses where they are stored at – 20 to – 23°C, perhaps for many months. To maintain a high quality in fish, the storage temperature is even lower.