subject: How Hired Chillers Help To Keep Fruit And Vegetables Fresh [print this page] Most British fruit and vegetable farmers will assert that planting, growing and then harvesting their crops can often prove to be the "easy" part of their job; ensuring produce remains fresh, and therefore saleable, after harvesting ("Postharvest") can be the most difficult aspect to get right. Renting chillers (large, powerful cooling machines) can help farmers to make sure cold storage conditions are perfect ensuring the longest possible shelf life for produce.
The good news for farmers is that hiring chillers from a specialist chiller hire company is quick and easy to do, as well as being surprisingly affordable.
Why Fruit and Veg is Always in Demand
Different types of fruits and vegetables are low in energy and packed with vitamins, minerals,
protective plant compounds, and fibre, so they are a great source of nutrients and vital for a healthy diet.
In Britain, both the fruit and vegetable sectors have benefited in recent years from widespread publicity about the positive impact on health of consuming fruit and vegetables regularly. The Department of Health"s Five-a-Day Programme, for example, is designed to encourage consumers to eat five 80-gram portions of fresh fruit and vegetables each day, according to the World Fruit and Vegetable EXPO London. Currently Britain averages two to three portions a day, but that still means fruit and vegetables are always constantly in demand, with many farmers having to work around the clock to fulfil orders and meet deadlines at key times of the year, reports BBC News.
Note: Despite a strong agricultural sector within Britain, 90 per cent of fruit and 70 per cent of
specialist vegetables have to be imported to match supply with demand, which continues to
increase.
What Happens to Fruit and Veg (Before Distribution)
1. Harvesting - Produce needs to be kept clean and harvested gently; damaged and bruised produce will not sell well and is more susceptible to becoming spoilt at a later stage. Getting the timing right is important too - for fullness of flavour, but before produce becomes over-ripe (meaning shelf life significantly deteriorates).
2. Handling (the first stage of Postharvest) - Minimum handling is vital as the risk of damaging produce rises every time it is moved. Where possible, produce should be placed directly in the final storage containers and not transferred a number of times. Given quality control issues (checking of size etc), this is not always possible, but steps should be taken to ensure the products are handled as infrequently as possible.
3. Preparation - Some products will need to be cleaned and dried before storage. Consideration should also be given as to whether crops are better being stored with or without external layers or leaves; usually, keeping them in their natural state (rather than stripped back) will prolong their life as the produce can better retain moisture.
4. Storage - The temperature that the produce is stored at is crucial; the smallest variation can leave it irreconcilably damaged. An experienced farmer will know the exact temperature at which their produce (their specific type of apple, carrot, and / or tomato etc) is best stored, for shelf life and taste.
Deterioration of produce during storage depends largely on temperature and water control. If the temperature is too low, damage will occur. Also, as soon as the produce leaves the cold store, deterioration recommences and often at a faster rate. One way to decelerate this change [thereby lengthening produce storage time] is by lowering the temperature to an appropriate level. Renting temporary chillers is the best way to do this.
Chiller Types
At their depots strategically located around the country, a good chiller hire specialist will have in stock a full range of the following chiller types:
1. Fluid Chillers - these are the "perfect cooling solution" for applications and locations that need the fastest, most reliable and cost-effective temporary cooling. Fluid chillers are highly efficient, quiet in operation, environmentally friendly, and can be used for a multitude of applications. They are the ideal type of mobile chiller for process applications in manufacturing e.g. for food products, beverages, other fluids and petrochemicals.
2. Low Temperature Chillers - these high-performance temporary chillers have an internal unit compatible with compressors, evaporators and fans, plus an outside unit for heat rejection. Flexible return hoses link the entire cooling system. The set-up is compact, quiet and energy efficient, and fully portable.
Note: The specialist will also be able to supply mobile air con units, fan coils and air handling units, where and when applicable.
The type of portable chiller unit supplied to a farmer will depend upon the type and size of the crop in storage, and the existing on-site refrigeration systems capacity.
About Contingencies (as Part of Postharvest Planning)
Finally, although some British farmers produce solely to be self-sufficient, most are preparing to sell their harvested crop. Whilst cold stores are usually on site at fruit and vegetable farms, equipment can suddenly fail, threatening an entire crop in storage. For peace of mind, in the months preceding harvest time all farmers should formulate a contingency plan with a chiller hire specialist (a site survey will be part of this). The specialist could then respond quickly to an urgent call from a farmer during Postharvest, ensuring that the most suitable chiller unit(s) are on site, correctly positioned and made operational in a matter of hours.
