Cold Storage Room Research Articles

Survey on the innovation in the Sicilian grapevine nurseries

This paper deals with quality innovation in the grapevine nursery sector. The vegetative propagation of grapevines, scarcely considered by economic research, is the first step in the wine production chain as it influences both the type and the quality of wines as well as the quality and quantity of the performance of farm investments. This paper gives the results of a study carried out through a structural analysis of both national and regional grapevine nurseries and then through a direct survey of the largest Sicilian nurseries. The survey covers the main structural and productive issues as well as the commercial aspects of eight Sicilian grapevine nurseries and their innovative investments. The middle–low selling price level of Sicilian rooted vines is the result of limited regional marketing which suffers competition from the propagation materials produced by Northern Italy and abroad. So, the companies adopted technological innovations in the production process (paraffin, mulching, cold room storage and warm-house) in order to reduce costs. Innovations of the product to diversify farm production, although less frequent, were also adopted. Consequently, the opportunities for growth in this sector are subject to the companies' ability to upgrade products and differentiate supplies.

Evaluating the storage environment in hypobaric chambers used for disinfesting fresh fruits

Low pressure (LP) treatment has potential as an alternative non-chemical postharvest disinfestation method for fresh fruits. A validated computer simulation model was used to determine the thickness of foam insulation needed to cover the hypobaric chamber walls in order to stabilise the air temperature within the hypobaric chambers that were housed in a cold storage room with fluctuating air temperatures. The stability of pressure, temperature and relative humidity levels in the LP system was evaluated together with various O 2 concentrations, evacuation, venting and leakage rates. Results showed that the added foam covering the chambers maintained the temperature variation of the hypobaric chamber wall to within ±0.2 °C and inside air to within ±0.1 °C. The regulating system kept pressure to within ±1% of the set point, and maintained relative humidity at nearly saturated levels (>98%) under various air exchange rates and pressures, with a chamber leakage rate of 0.009 kPa h −1 and LP system leakage rate of 0.480 kPa h −1 . Given that the hypobaric chamber displayed adequate performance characteristics, further studies will be conducted to evaluate LP treatment efficacy for fresh fruits. ► Insulation can reduce temperature variation of hypobaric chamber. ► LP system might precisely control pressure, relative humidity and O 2 concentration. ► The leakage rate of hypobaric chamber was in an acceptable range. ► Good performance of hypobaric chambers ensures future efficacy studies.

Ergonomic analysis in cold storage rooms: a study of case

The human work possess a history and, in this dimension, the man is submitted to the conditions that confer it physical and psychological consequences. The activity of work in the present time imposes adverse labor conditions. The ergonomics is a science that it aims at to study the real activity of the work with sights its transformation. This study it was carried through in a sector of processing of meats in a Agroindustry, with the objective to analyze ergonomically the conditions of work and the possible risks it greets it of the workers. It was verified that in the accomplishment of the activities it had an overload of the musculature of superior members, where if it verified the requirement of repetitive movements during four working hours. Also observed the organization of the work, the position of the employees and way to carry through the activities. With the study we conclude that the ergonomic risks in the sector are related to the position during the accomplishment of the activities, requirement of repetitive movements, e the cold that affects the muscular control, reducing some motor abilities as the dexterity and the force.

자두 '대석조생'의 숙기 및 저온저장 온도에 따른 저온장해과 발생 및 품질특성

자두 '대석조생'의 생육단계별 수확시기 및 저온저장 온도에 따른 저온장해과 발생 양상과 품질 특성을 구명하고자 하고자, 자두 '대석조생'을 60%, 80% 그리고 90% 이상의 착색율로 구분하여 수확한 후, 1, 4, 5, <TEX>$6^{\circ}C$</TEX> 그리고 <TEX>$20^{\circ}C$</TEX>에 최대 48일간 그리고 <TEX>$20^{\circ}C$</TEX>에서 3일간 숙성시키면서 호흡 변화, 품질 특성 및 저온 장해과 발생 양상을 조사하였다. 60% 착색기에 수확한 자두를 보다 낮은 저온에 저장하였을때 경도, 색도, 중량감소율과 적정산도의 유지에 효과적이었으며, 이 조건에서 에틸렌 발생량과 호흡량도 보다 낮게 유지되었다. '대석조생' 자두의 저온장해 증상은 주로 내부 갈변을 동반한 gel breakdown과 과육투명화 현상이었는데, 이러한 저온장해과는 모든 숙기별 처리구 그리고 <TEX>$6^{\circ}C$</TEX> 이하의 모든 저장 온도에서 발생하였다. 그러나 성숙이 진행되지 않은 과일일수록, 그리고 저장 온도가 낮을수록 저온장해과 발생율을 낮게 나타났다. 이 결과는 '대석조생' 자두의 저온장해과 발생이 저장기간 동안의 호흡 양상과 관련되어 있음을 의미한다. This study was conducted to evaluate the quality characteristics of and chilling injury development in 'Ooishiwase' plum fruits after harvest, according to the ripening stage and storage temperature. The fruits were harvested at three ripening stages (60, 80, and >90% skin color) and were then stored at 1, 4, 5, 6, and <TEX>$20^{\circ}C$</TEX> cold-storage rooms for up to 48 days. The fruit quality parameters, respiration patterns, and chilling injury development were monitored during the storage periods and the three days of subsequent ripening at <TEX>$20^{\circ}C$</TEX>. The fruits harvested at the 60%-skin-color stage maintained the flesh firmness, color, weight loss, and TA, and their respiration rates and ethylene production were decreased compared with the 80%-or >90%-skin-color fruits, at a lower storage temperature. The major symptoms of chilling injuries in the Ooishiwase plums were gel breakdown, flesh browning, and flesh translucency. These symptoms appeared at all the low-storage-temperature and ripening treatment stages. When the fruits, however, were harvested at a more immature stage and were stored at a lower storage temperature, the chilling injury development decreased. These results show that the development of chilling injury in Ooishiwase plums is related to the climacteric behavior during cold storage.

RFID 기반 냉동창고 시스템의 적재위치 관리 방안

In RFID-based cold-storage systems, product locations are recognized as the logical locations of RFID readers which are attached to the entrance of the cold rooms. However, through these methods, product locations can be incorrect in many different situations of a storage. Cold storage rooms have a huge rage in temperature, and the product in the cold-storage spoils easily. Therefore, highly precise product locations is very important for the product quality In this paper, a new approach is suggested to manage the storage location inaccuracy by adding two readers to existing forklift and attaching RFID tags to the ceiling. One reader recognizes ceiling tags to acquire location data, and the other recognizes product tags to acquire product detail data loaded on the forklift. The product can be seamlessly tracked and traced in realtime by monitoring and analyzing data gathered from these readers. Through the proposed location management method, the effectiveness of the product management in cold-storage can be improved consequently.

Portable forced-air tunnel evaluation for cooling products inside cold storage rooms

Freezing process efficiency is affected by the required conditions to keep the air flow and temperature at the product surface. The objective of this work was to obtain results on comparative studies with air exhaustion and blowing using an experimental portable forced-air freezing tunnel. The device was designed to improve cooling rates inside storage room without the need for a cooling/freezing tunnel. A heterogeneity factor was proposed for air circulation evaluation and compared with convective heat transfer coefficient ( h ef) values. Lower modules of heterogeneity factor values represent smaller temperature differences among samples. Comparing two different air flow processes, heterogeneity factor values were similar for regions where the cooling air could flow without obstructions. However, larger differences were observed for regions with hampered air circulation. Results indicated that the air distribution, as well as the heat transfer, occurs more uniformly around the products in the exhausting process than in the blowing system.

Counteracting Recontamination of Pasteurized Milk by Methylated Soybean Protein

Methylated soy protein (MSP) was evaluated as an antimicrobial agent that can counteract the potential post-pasteurization contamination of milk during a 30-day cold storage (4 °C) or 24-h room temperature storage (25 °C) as compared to its native form (SP). SP and MSP were added to buffalo milk at 0.5% (w/v) after pasteurization and before storage. Milk microbiological and chemical analyses were carried out either directly to follow the spontaneous microbial contamination or after artificial contamination with three pathogens (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes Scott A, and Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica serovar Enteritidis PT4). Supplementation of milk samples with MSP (0.5%) significantly (p < 0.05) and considerably inhibited the levels of the spontaneously proliferating bacterial counts, i.e., total viable and Enterobacteriaceae counts were inhibited by about 2.5 log CFU mL−1, while psychrotrophic and pseudomonads counts were inhibited by 1.8 and 1.6 log CFU mL−1, respectively, after 16 days of preservation at 4 °C. Similar trend of effects were also produced after 12–18 h of milk storage at 25 °C. MSP (0.5%) nearly hindered the proliferation of the three inoculated pathogens in pasteurized milk during 16 days of storage at 4 °C or 12–18-h storage at 25 °C. Based on milk acidity, SDS–PAGE pattern, and microbiological analysis, it is concluded that supplementation with MSP (0.5%) can prolong the shelf life of pasteurized milk from 6 to 16 days when stored under cold conditions and from 8 to 18 h under room temperature conditions.

Patulin accumulation in apples during storage by Penicillium expansum and Penicillium griseofulvum strains

A part of apples destined to juice production is generally of poor quality. Apples from cold storage or recently harvest (ground harvested or low quality apples) are stored under ambient conditions until they are processed. Since Penicillium expansum and P. griseofulvum are the principal fungal species isolated from stored apples in Brazil, the objective of this study was to investigate the ability of these strains to produce patulin in apples and report the consequences of this type of storage in loss of quality. The toxin was quantified using thin layer chromatography and charge-coupled device camera (TLC-CCD). The rate and quantities that P. expansum and P. griseofulvum can grow and produce patulin are highly dependent on the fungal strain and time. Lesion diameter resulted to be independent of the strain considered. The maximum period of time which apples were kept at cold storage (4 °C) without patulin accumulation was 27 days. When these apples were kept at 25 °C during 3 days, both factors lesion diameter and patulin production increased significantly. These results confirm that time in which apples are taken out from cold storage room before juice production is critical in order to prevent patulin accumulation.

Efeitos do Organosuper® e do ambiente protegido na formação de mudas de mamoeiro

Com o objetivo de avaliar doses de composto orgânico e ambiente protegido na formação de mudas de mamoeiro, foi conduzido um experimento no período de setembro a dezembro de 2007. Utilizaram-se seis ambientes protegidos: estufa plástica com pé-direito de 2,5 m; viveiro telado com Sombrite® 50%, com pé-direito de 2,5m; viveiro telado de tela termorrefletora Aluminet® 50%, com pé-direito de 2,5m; viveiro coberto com palha de coqueiro, com pé-direito de 1,8 m; estufa plástica com pé-direito de 4,0 m, possuindo abertura zenital e tela termorrefletora 50% sob o plástico e viveiro telado de tela de sombreamento 50%, com pé-direito de 3,5 m. Foram utilizados cinco substratos com doses de 0; 7; 14; 21 e 28% de composto orgânico Organosuper® (oriundos de resíduos de frigoríficos, bagaço de cana, frutas, legumes, cereais, entre outros) misturado ao solo. Utilizou-se o delineamento em parcelas subdivididas, com dez repetições. Na estufa com pé-direito de 2,5 m, ocorreram os maiores acúmulos de biomassa seca no mamoeiro com os substratos com 0, 7 e 14% de Organosuper®; na estufa com pé-direito de 4,0 m, abertura zenital e tela termorrefletora sob o filme, ocorreram as maiores plantas, com maior número de folhas para os substratos com 7 e 14% de Organosuper®; aos 50 dias após a semeadura, os substratos com 7; 14 e 21 % propiciaram mudas maiores, maior número de folhas e biomassas frescas e secas; o substrato com percentagem de composto orgânico acima de 21% mostrou-se inadequado para o desenvolvimento das mudas do mamoeiro.

Avaliação do potencial fisiológico de lotes de sementes de soja

Vários procedimentos são utilizados para avaliar o potencial fisiológico de sementes, sendo fundamental a utilização daqueles que reflitam melhor o desempenho em campo. A pesquisa teve como objetivo avaliar o potencial fisiológico de sementes de soja por meio de testes de avaliação rápida, de vigor, de emergência de plântulas em campo e análise computadorizada de imagens (SVIS®), procurando identificar o procedimento mais eficiente na separação de lotes. Cinco lotes das cultivares BRS Valiosa RR e CD 208 foram avaliados em duas épocas (antes e após armazenamento) pelos testes de germinação, de avaliação rápida (embebição em água e pH do exsudato), de vigor (envelhecimento acelerado e condutividade elétrica), de emergência de plântulas em campo e análise computadorizada de imagens (SVIS®). Os testes de germinação em areia, de condutividade elétrica e de embebição em água foram eficientes na separação dos lotes, mas apenas este último possibilitou identificar diferenças consistentes entre os lotes nos dois períodos avaliados. Assim, o teste de embebição em água pode ser considerado promissor na composição de programas de controle de qualidade.

Patulin Accumulation In Apples During Storage by Penicillium Expansum and Penicillium Griseofulvum Strains

A part of apples destined to juice production is generally of poor quality. Apples from cold storage or recently harvest (ground harvested or low quality apples) are stored under ambient conditions until they are processed. Since Penicillium expansum and P. griseofulvum are the principal fungal species isolated from stored apples in Brazil, the objective of this study was to investigate the ability of these strains to produce patulin in apples and report the consequences of this type of storage in loss of quality. The toxin was quantified using thin layer chromatography and charge-coupled device camera (TLC-CCD). The rate and quantities that P. expansum and P. griseofulvum can grow and produce patulin are highly dependent on the fungal strain and time. Lesion diameter resulted to be independent of the strain considered. The maximum period of time which apples were kept at cold storage (4 °C) without patulin accumulation was 27 days. When these apples were kept at 25 °C during 3 days, both factors lesion diameter and patulin production increased significantly. These results confirm that time in which apples are taken out from cold storage room before juice production is critical in order to prevent patulin accumulation.

Effect of Soft Foamed Polyethylene on the Property of Portable Mini-Cold Storage

Effect of PE materials on environmental temperature, frost accumulation and electricity consumption of mini store-room prepared with the new type foamed polyethylene was investigated. The application of portable mini cold storage room made of this material on the quality of “Fuji” apples was also studied. The fruits of apples had good quality after 150 days storage. Our findings reveal that soft foamed PE insulation material has a good potential to prepare mini store-room for the preservation of fruits.

Effect of ozone application during cold storage of kiwifruit on the development of stem-end rot caused by Botrytis cinerea

The effect of gaseous ozone exposure on the development of stem-end rot disease, caused by Botrytis cinerea, on kiwifruit ( Actinidia deliciosa, cv. Hayward) was investigated. Artificially inoculated kiwifruit were subjected for 4 months to conventional cold storage (0 °C, RH 95%) where catalytic oxidation of ethylene was applied (control) and to conventional cold storage with continuous supply of ozone (0.3 μL L −1) or in a conventional kiwifruit cold storage room, where catalytic oxidation of ethylene was applied. Ozone treatment delayed and simultaneously decreased disease incidence by 56%, while disease severity on infected fruit remained unaffected. Infected fruit formed sclerotia, while no sporulation of the pathogen occurred in the presence of ozone. To elucidate whether the observed disease suppression was mediated by a direct effect of ozone on the fungal pathogen per se or by the induction of a resistance mechanism in the fruit, two additional sets of experiments were conducted. Kiwifruit were exposed to ozone (0.3 μL L −1) for 0, 2, 8, 24, 72 and 144 h in a conventional cold storage room either before or after the artificial inoculation with the pathogen and its efficacy on disease incidence and severity was monitored. Pre-inoculation exposure of fruit to ozone, at increasing exposure time intervals led to significant suppression of disease incidence, while post-inoculation exposure did not affect it. The observed disease suppression, provided by the pre-inoculation exposure, strongly suggests that ozone treatments induce resistance of kiwifruit to the pathogen. Measurements of antioxidant substances and antioxidant activity on fruit exposed to ozone for the same time intervals showed a strong negative correlation between disease incidence or severity and phenol content.

'IPR JULIETA', A NEW EARLY LOW CHILL REQUIREMENT APPLE CULTIVAR

Most of the high quality apple cultivars need high chill accumulation during the wintertime to both break bud dormancy and to grow normally in the spring. Not enough chilling accumulation to fulfill its needs will decrease both fruit production and fruit quality, and even may limit production. The apple breeding program at IAPAR, Parana State, Brazil, started in 1979. The aim of this program is to develop low chill, disease resistant apple cultivars with commercial fruit quality, which would be capable to perform well in subtropical climatic conditions. 'IPR Julieta' is a new early cultivar selected within this program. It performs well in locations that accumulates 100-500 chill units (CU). It is resistant to necrotic leaf blotch (Colletotrichum spp.), the main apple disease in humid regions in the South of Brazil. It it is highly productive, fruits have good quality for the season, and it is a good pollinizer for 'IAPAR 75 - Eva', a previous cultivar released by this program that is in expansion. 'IPR Julieta' ripen 10-14 days before 'IAPAR 74 - Eva', fruits have regular shelf life, and they can be stored 30-45 days in cold room storage.

Identification of critical points of thermal environment in broiler production

This paper describes an exploratory study carried out to determine critical control points and possible risks in hatcheries and broiler farms. The study was based in the identification of the potential hazards existing in broiler production, from the hatchery to the broiler farm, identifying critical control points and defining critical limits. The following rooms were analyzed in the hatchery: egg cold storage, pre-heating, incubator, and hatcher rooms. Two broiler houses were studied in two different farms. The following data were collected in the hatchery and broiler houses: temperature (ºC) and relative humidity (%), air velocity (m s-1), ammonia levels, and light intensity (lx). In the broiler house study, a questionnaire using information of the Broiler Production Good Practices (BPGP) manual was applied, and workers were interviewed. Risk analysis matrices were build to determine Critical Control Points (CCP). After data collection, Statistical Process Control (SPC) was applied through the analysis of the Process Capacity Index, using the software program Minitab15®. Environmental temperature and relative humidity were the critical points identified in the hatchery and in both farms. The classes determined as critical control points in the broiler houses were poultry litter, feeding, drinking water, workers' hygiene and health, management and biosecurity, norms and legislation, facilities, and activity planning. It was concluded that CCP analysis, associated with SPC control tools and guidelines of good production practices, may contribute to improve quality control in poultry production.

Dépistage du cancer broncho-pulmonaire par tomodensitométrie : l’heure de la polémique

This paper presents a study on the effect of storage conditions on wheat flour quality for 30 months. Such study may be of interest for research projects conducted over long periods. Wheat flours were stored in two types of packaging (permeable paper bags and watertight containers) and at two temperatures (ambient temperature and a cold storage room). Selected qualities parameters were evaluated regularly such as chemical stability, consistency, extensibility, resistance, water absorption, Solvent Retention Capacity and Gluten Index Performance. In addition, Near-Infrared Spectroscopy was used to monitor the flour’s evolution and models were employed to predict certain parameters. The results showed that storage at ambient temperature led to significant modifications of flour parameters and baking performances, whereas storage at low temperature preserved the initial quality of the flour. A practical recommendation is to favour storage at low temperature in a sealed container to prevent interaction with oxygen and moisture uptake.

Enhanced photocatalytic disinfection of P. expansum in cold storage using a TiO 2/ACF film

Spores of Penicillium expansum are the most important airborne component of fungal contamination and are commonly present in the moist air in cold storage rooms where fruits and vegetables are stored. To improve the ability of activated carbon felt-supported titanium dioxide (TiO 2/ACF) to remove spores of P. expansum from the atmosphere, measurements for the removal efficiency of the spores at a temperature of 3 °C ± 1 °C and relative humidity of 90% ± 3% had been made on photocatalytically-activated (PC) silver-doped TiO 2/ACF prepared by ion sputtering in two different modes and photoelectrocatalytically-activated (PEC) TiO 2/ACF films. The Weibull distribution model was used to define the degree of microbial inactivation attributable to the PC or PEC films. The key parameters of the PC or PEC affecting the disinfection efficiency in terms of the reliable life ( t R value) of this model were studied. Both silver-doped TiO 2/ACF and PEC on TiO 2/ACF improved destruction of this airborne microbe. Silver deposited on the surface of the prepared ACF-supported TiO 2 films (Ag/Ti = 0.012, atomic ratios) dramatically reduced t R value. With respect to the PEC, a model was established using response surface methodology to describe the relationship between the t R value and the key affecting parameters, including light intensity and bias voltage. The optimized parameters were found to be a light intensity of 2.3 mW·cm − 2 with a bias voltage of 66.7 V.

Modelling the gas exchange rate in perforation-mediated modified atmosphere packaging: Effect of the external air movement and tube dimensions

Perforation-mediated modified atmosphere packages control the gas exchange rate and thus the internal atmosphere composition by judicious choice of dimensions of small tubes in perforations in an otherwise hermetic container. The aims of this work were (i) to study the effect of external turbulence on the gas exchange rate through small perforations, (ii) to develop a mathematical model to predict the effect of tube dimensions and hydrodynamic conditions on gas exchange coefficients, and (iii) validate the model developed during the storage of shredded carrots. Different hydrodynamic conditions in the controlled temperature room due to the storage temperature settings (5, 10 and 15 °C) and PVC tubes dimensions (diameter from 1.5 to 4.5 mm length from 2.0 to 6.0 mm) were tested. Results showed that, as expected, hydrodynamic conditions (induced turbulence) and tube diameter had a significantly positive effect on the mass transfer values, whereas tube length had a negative effect. The permeability ratio between CO 2 and O 2 was 0.83 ± 0.01 and did not show any pattern with the factors tested. The gas exchange coefficients increased with decreasing temperature, as the establishment of lower temperatures implied a frequent air movement. A mathematical model to estimate changes of gas composition over time as a function of tube dimensions and hydrodynamic conditions was developed and found to have good predictive abilities. The model was validated during the storage of shredded carrots at 5 °C in PM-MAP, showing a good agreement between the experimental and predicted gas exchange of O 2 and CO 2. The results obtained in this work showed that hydrodynamic conditions of the cold storage room affected the gas exchange rate in PM-MAP.

IMPROVING THE REFRIGERATED VEGETABLES STORAGE ROOMS PERFORMANCE

Adequate storage may reduce subsequent losses. Adequate storage involves proper regulation of temperature, humidity, air circulation, proper stacking pattern, regular inspection, and prompt produce disposal as soon as maximum storage life has been attained. One of the greatest impediments to preserving quality through refrigerated storage is the consumers' strong preference for freshly harvested produce and resistance to stored produce. This research aims to test the feasibility of improving the performance of cold storage rooms by using the evaporative cooler to control air relative humidity inside the storage. Some operating parameters such as, water flow rate of pad surface, (0.075, 0.120, 0.165 and 0.210 m3/h) and pads face air velocity (0.25, 0.50 and 0.75 m/s) on the air temperature, and air relative humidity inside storage room were studied. The effect of such process on the performance of cold storage rooms in terms of tomatoes fruits storageability (weight loss percentage) and fruits firmness were also considered. The results revealed that, optimum values for the operations conditions were obtained at 0.165 m3/h of water flow rates of pad and 0.5 m/s of pad-face air velocity. The maximum deteriorated of tomatoes stored with evaporative cooler was (5.62 %), comparing with the deteriorated value of the control treatment (14.69 %). Tomatoes stored without evaporator cooler (control treatment) gave the lowest firmness (48.66 N), which was coupled with maximum total damage (14.69 %).

Influence of the refrigeration technique on the colour and phenolic composition of syrah red wines obtained by pre-fermentative cold maceration

The vinification technique called pre-fermentative cold maceration is used to enhance the anthocyans diffusion from the skins to the must, increasing the pigments extraction. For using this technique the application of low temperatures is needed. In this study, two different refrigerating methods (dry ice and cooling of grapes) have been assessed regarding the colour and the phenolic composition of the Syrah wines elaborated by applying pre-fermentative cold maceration. Results showed more intense and stable colours when grapes were previously refrigerated in cold-storage rooms, which showed higher values of chroma and more red-bluish hues. As regards phenolic composition, the cold maceration technique used yields to significant differences among the levels of phenolics, having higher levels of anthocyanins and some non-coloured phenols as flavonols in PR wines. Regarding the colour-composition relationships, it has been highlighted the importance of the co-pigments such as flavonols and cinnamic acids for classify the two groups of samples.