Cold Storage

Description of cold storage

A cold storage is a warehouse that allows perishable goods (e.g. food) to be stored at low temperatures, usually below ambient temperatures. The temperature in a cold store depends on the goods to be stored.

Areas of application of a cold storage

The aim is to keep goods in a fresh and unspoilt condition for as long as possible. Thus, a cold storage has become a significant part of food distribution. Cold storage is also becoming increasingly important because the market for quickly prepared frozen food is growing steadily and its cold supply chain must be maintained on the way from the manufacturer to the consumer.

A distinction is made between three cold storage temperatures:

• Temperature from 4 to 18 °C ("cold storage")
• Temperature from -18 to 4 °C ("refrigerated storage")
• Temperature from -18 °C or less ("deep-frozen")

Depending on the temperature range, different goods can be stored. Tropical and subtropical fruits are stored at approx. 5-13 °C, the temperature for domestic fruits and vegetables is around 0 °C, whereas frozen products are stored at -18 °C or less.

Special forms of cold storage

Two types of cold storage can be mentioned here. Controlled Atmosphere storage (CA) and Ultra Low Oxygen storage (ULP):

• CA storage: Here goods are stored in hermetically sealed cold rooms. The composition of the air in these rooms is artificially changed so that it contains less oxygen and more carbon dioxide. This results in a delayed ripening process for some types of fruit.
• ULP storage: It is a further development of CA storage, in which the oxygen content is kept at the necessary lower limit of biological ripening activity. This slows down the ripening of the fruit considerably.

But not only fruits are stored, cold storage is also needed in the chemical industry. Chemical substances are cooled down to reach a processing temperature or to slow down chemical reaction times. Such cold storage facilities are particularly important in warmer countries.