ISO 6662:1983 PDF

Overview

ISO 6662:1983 - "Plums - Guide to cold storage" gives practical, internationally agreed guidance for handling and cold-storing selected plum cultivars (Prunus domestica, Prunus insititia and Prunus salicina) intended for fresh supply and some varieties intended for processing. The standard covers harvesting timing, packing, store conditions and optimum procedures, and includes Annex A (optimum temperatures and storage lives for many varieties) and Annex B (limits of application).

Key topics and technical requirements

• Harvesting and packing

  • Harvest during the coolest part of the day (best in the morning, dry weather).
  • Fruits should be whole, healthy, clean and at a suitable maturity; stalks and natural bloom are preferred for fresh market fruit.
  • Pack close to the place of picking into rigid containers (boxes) sized to avoid crushing lower layers.

• Timing and handling

  • Put fruit into cold store as soon as possible and not later than 12 hours after picking.
  • Stores should be disinfected and free from odours; containers handled carefully and placed on pallets.

• Cold store environment

  • Air temperature: Maintain mean air temperature at 1 m above floor and in passages typically 0 to 1 °C for certain non-cold-resistant varieties; specific optimum temperatures by variety are in Annex A.
  • Relative humidity: 90–95% recommended.
  • Air circulation: High air movement (air circulation ratio per ISO 2169) of 30–50 until fruit reach 0–1 °C, then reduced to