Fresh-keeping cold storage is a facility that prolongs the freshness of foods such as agricultural products and seafood by lowering the temperature and controlling environmental conditions. Here's a detailed explanation of how it works:
1. Lower temperature: The main cause of food spoilage is the growth and metabolic activity of microorganisms. By lowering the storage temperature, the growth rate of microorganisms can be significantly slowed down, thus extending the shelf life of the food. For example, seafood cold storage usually maintains a temperature of around -25°C, which can effectively inhibit the reproduction of bacteria and viruses.
2. Control humidity: Maintaining the right humidity is also key to keeping it fresh. Too low humidity can cause food to dry out, while high humidity can promote the growth of bacteria. With a humidity control system in cold storage, these negative effects can be reduced and food freshness and taste can be maintained.
3. Environmental isolation: Fresh cold storage provides a space for food to be isolated from the outside environment, reducing the risk of contamination and cross-infection. Cold storage is usually kept clean and disinfected regularly.
4. Vacuum packaging: For some perishable foods, such as seafood and meat, vacuum packaging can remove the air inside the package, preventing oxidation and bacterial growth. This helps preserve the color, taste, and nutrition of the food.
5. Flash Freezing: Flash freezing technology can freeze food to the right temperature in a short period of time, reducing the formation of ice crystals, which helps to preserve the structure and taste of food. Compared to slow freezing, fast freezing can better maintain the quality of food products.
6. Modified atmosphere storage: By controlling the gas composition in the cold storage (such as increasing the carbon dioxide concentration or decreasing the oxygen concentration), the growth of microorganisms can be further inhibited, and the respiration of food can be slowed down to prolong the shelf life.
7. Intelligent management: Modern fresh-keeping cold storage is usually equipped with an intelligent management system, which can monitor key parameters such as temperature and humidity in real time to ensure that the environment in the warehouse is constant and adjust the environmental conditions in time.
In general, through these comprehensive measures, the fresh-keeping cold storage not only prolongs the freshness time of the food, but also maintains the freshness and nutritional value of the food, providing consumers with a better shopping experience. At the same time, it also provides an effective guarantee for the storage, transportation and sales of agricultural products and seafood and other foods, and promotes the stability and development of the agricultural product market.