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When it comes to post-harvest handling and cold storage of oranges, plastic crates and plastic pallets are essential components in ensuring freshness, reducing spoilage, and improving operational efficiency. Oranges are highly perishable fruits with high moisture content and thin skins, making them susceptible to damage and decay if not handled properly. To maintain their quality during storage and distribution, most growers and distributors rely on cold storage facilities—along with durable plastic crates and plastic pallets designed for fruit logistics.

Ideal Conditions for Orange Cold Storage

Oranges should be stored at temperatures between 3°C and 5°C with relative humidity maintained at 90% to 95%. Within this range, oranges can typically be stored for 1 to 4 months without significant loss of flavor or texture. Temperatures below 3°C may cause chilling injuries, while higher temperatures can accelerate microbial growth and spoilage. Maintaining precise temperature and humidity control in cold rooms is therefore critical.

Harvesting: Using Plastic Crates for Protection and Efficiency

During the harvesting phase, plastic crates are used to collect and transport the fruit directly from the orchard. These crates are lightweight, ventilated, and stackable—ideal features for minimizing mechanical damage and allowing airflow around the fruit. Workers equipped with gloves and sanitized clippers carefully cut the oranges, placing them gently into plastic crates  to avoid bruising. Unlike traditional woven baskets, plastic crates offer better hygiene and structural strength, making them more suitable for modern fruit handling operations.

Sorting and Pre-Cooling

After harvest, oranges are sorted to remove any damaged, diseased, or malformed fruit. The remaining quality fruit is graded and prepared for pre-cooling—a crucial step that rapidly lowers the fruit’s temperature to around 3°C. Pre-cooling reduces respiration rates and moisture loss, significantly extending shelf life. Using plastic crates in this stage allows fruit to be pre-cooled directly inside the crate, reducing handling steps and preserving quality.

Cold Room Preparation and the Use of Plastic Pallets

Before loading fruit into the cold storage, the facility must be sanitized thoroughly using approved disinfectants like formalin. Afterward, the room is ventilated for 2–3 days, and the cooling system is started to bring the temperature down to the optimal storage level.

Once ready, oranges—typically packed in boxes—are stacked on plastic pallets for storage. These cold-storage-compatible plastic pallets are essential for maintaining hygiene and proper airflow. They keep fruit boxes elevated from the floor (at least 20 cm) and spaced from the wall (around 30 cm), helping prevent moisture accumulation and promoting air circulation. Palletized storage also enables easy movement with forklifts, improving operational speed and safety. Stacking should be limited to 7 layers to avoid excessive pressure on the lower boxes.

Storage Monitoring and Distribution

Regular inspection during storage is necessary to remove any decaying oranges and prevent the spread of mold or bacteria. Before dispatch, if the oranges are not being transported via cold chain, they should be gradually acclimated to ambient temperatures to avoid condensation and quality deterioration. However, with full cold chain logistics, this step can be skipped, ensuring uninterrupted freshness from storage to delivery.

Conclusion: Plastic Crates and Plastic Pallets—The Backbone of Efficient Orange Storage

From field to cold storage, plastic crates  and plastic pallets play a central role in preserving the quality of oranges. They offer protection during handling, promote airflow, enhance hygiene, and facilitate efficient logistics. By integrating these tools with proper cold storage management, orange producers and distributors can significantly reduce waste, extend shelf life, and ensure that consumers receive fresh, flavorful fruit.