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Fruit and vegetables are living product: they respire after harvest and continue producing heat. Room temperature is only half the requirement; humidity and air movement decide how much weight the product loses.
| Product | Room temperature | Relative humidity | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Leafy vegetables | 0 – 2°C | 90 – 95% | Highest respiration rate; precooling matters most |
| Apples, pears | −1 – 1°C | 90 – 95% | Sensitive to ethylene from other produce |
| Citrus | 3 – 6°C | 85 – 90% | Chilling injury below 3°C |
| Tropical fruit | 10 – 13°C | 85 – 90% | Cannot be stored near 0°C |
| Potatoes, onions | 3 – 5°C | 80 – 85% | Cured before storage; lower humidity |
Humidity above 90% is not a comfort setting. Below it the product loses weight, and weight loss is sold at the same price as the produce.
A precooling room pulls field heat out fast; a holding room keeps temperature stable. Combining them means the holding room is oversized and the precooling room never reaches its rate.
| Room | Duty | Typical design |
|---|---|---|
| Precooling | Remove field heat within hours | High airflow, large temperature difference, fast pull-down |
| Holding / storage | Maintain temperature and humidity | Smaller temperature difference, high humidity, low air movement |
| Distribution / dispatch | Short-term holding during loading | Close to the loading bay, sized to daily throughput |
Sizing the two rooms together costs less than building one room that does neither job properly.