https://kvalifood.com/tags/refrigeration/ Recent content in Refrigeration on Kvalifood Hugo en-us Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0000 https://kvalifood.com/wiki/produce-handling/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 +0100 https://kvalifood.com/wiki/produce-handling/ <h1 id="produce-handling">Produce Handling</h1> <img src="https://kvalifood.com/wiki/produce-handling/produce-handling_hu_32bb9b5886daa387.webp" alt="" loading="lazy"> <p>Once harvested, fruits and vegetables are severed from their nutrient supply. The cells survive — for weeks or months in some cases — but they consume themselves, accumulate waste, and deteriorate. Flavor, texture, color, and nutrients all suffer. Understanding the mechanisms of post-harvest deterioration turns produce storage from guesswork into applied science.</p> <h2 id="why-deterioration-happens">Why deterioration happens</h2> <p>Plant cells keep metabolizing after harvest: they burn sugars for energy, consume stored nutrients, and generate waste products. The rate varies enormously by species. High-metabolism produce (mushrooms, ripe berries, apricots, figs, avocados, papayas) deteriorates within days. Low-metabolism produce (apples, pears, kiwi, cabbages, carrots) can keep for weeks or months under good conditions.</p>