Perishable food items can be stored for longer of stored in a cold storage chamber. Cold storages are designed in way that climatically control all the factors that affect the shelf life of food and prevent factors that cause food decay. In cold storage the temperature is maintained much lower to the outside temperature. Food decay is caused by bacteria which cannot survive in very low temperatures. Prolonged exposure to low temperature can make the bacteria inactive or can completely kill it. In the absence of these decaying microbes, food doesn’t spoil.
Cold storage also balances the flow of gases that come in interaction with the food. All food material transpires and there is a constant exchange of gases between the food stuff and the atmosphere. The microbes within the food need a constant supply of oxygen for their aerobic respiration. In the lack of oxygen, they can become inert or die over a period of time. Cold storage works by technically balancing the amount and percentage of gases in the chamber where the food is stored.
Relative Humidity also plays a very important role when it comes to storing food for a long period of time. Cold storages are typically built of material which can vary from bricks to factory made panels that do not allow the external factors to interact with the stored items. Storage items are packed in boxes or bags, depending on the type of item, and stacked in a chamber which remains climatically controlled.
There are various refrigeration mechanism that are used, the most popular being the’ vapor compression refrigeration cycle’. A compressor is installed to compress the vaporized refrigerant to a high pressure and temperature. This raises the boiling point of the refrigerant. Heat rejection is achieved when the refrigerant is liquidified by the condenser. The condensed matter is then collected in a reservoir and passed through and passed through an expansion valve. The temperature and pressure decrease. The heat of the circulating air is decreased and cooling is done when the low-pressure refrigerant is allowed to evaporate as it passes through the refrigerating space.
Hence the desired cooling is produced and the blowers help circulate the cooled air in the storage chambers. This mechanism is used in almost all technically advanced cold chambers.
This blog is also worth reading for you:– cost for cold storage.
