Why risk cherry quality with unnecessary delays Coldtech technology? Coldtech technology combats thermal deterioration directly in the field, lowering the temperature to 5°C in record time immediately after harvest. In an industry that has shifted from rapid expansion to a new reality of a mature and highly demanding market, the difference between an excellent liquidation and the loss of commercial value is measured in minutes. With 40 years of experience, Coldtech has transformed hydrocooling into the cornerstone of Chilean post-harvest, allowing the fruit to maintain a “just-picked” condition until its final destination.
As highlighted by the Cherry Committee, profitability today depends on consistent quality and operational efficiency. In this context, rapid cooling is no longer an option, but the foundation of the value chain, in an industry where quality represents the minimum requirement to compete. In this regard, José Pedro Muñoz, Coldtech’s operations manager, states: “Our technical goal is to enable growers to protect the fruit from the very beginning and secure their position in an international market that no longer tolerates mistakes in arrival conditions.”
Cherry is a highly perishable fruit: from the moment of harvest, its physiological activity rapidly progresses toward deterioration. The critical indicator that determines success is the time elapsed between harvest and the first deep cooling.
The lack of hydrocoolers in the field is still a reality for many growers, who take hours to cool the fruit, causing irreversible damage to quality. Coldtech technology, on the other hand, allows the temperature to drop from 25°C to 5°C in just 5 minutes, immediately after harvest. At this temperature, dehydration and physiological activity are halted, reducing deterioration by up to 75% and preventing weight loss. It is precisely this immediate temperature reduction that slows fruit respiration, preserving firmness and freshness.
A distinctive feature of Coldtech solutions is their portability, allowing installation directly in the field to immediately counteract heat. The systems are designed to adapt to the real pace and logistics of each orchard, sharing a common engineering base: all models are equipped with a high-flow shower system that renews the water volume up to 15 times in 5 minutes, ensuring complete thermal uniformity.
Continuous hydrocooler ideal solution for large scale It is the ideal solution for large-scale operations (from 4 to 10 tons/hour or more) requiring continuous flow. A key element is the presence of a mechanical speed variator, which allows precise adjustment of cooling time between 2 and 10 minutes, eliminating bottlenecks and ensuring maximum flow efficiency in industrial volumes.
Batch hydrocooler strategic flexibility tool It is the strategic tool for those managing different varieties, varying ripeness levels, or different types of fruit. Its strength lies in flexibility: through an automatic control panel, the user can program cycles from one minute up to several hours. The system operates autonomously and stops at the end of the cycle, ensuring that each bin reaches the optimal point before cold storage and avoiding risks such as overhydration.
For growers handling between 24,000 and 32,000 kg per day, the Hydrocooler Monoblock represents a highly efficient solution in terms of investment and operational simplicity. Based on the concept “Transport, Connect and Cool”, it integrates both cold water production and the continuous transport tunnel where fruit cooling takes place into a single module.
The design is intended for road mobility: its dimensions allow transport on standard trucks or 40’ HC containers. Installed directly in the field, it enables immediate preservation after harvest, eliminating critical steps related to transporting warm fruit and ensuring arrival at the packing facility already stabilized at 5°C.
“Our systems are designed with the fruit at the center,” Muñoz concludes. In addition to hydrocooling, Coldtech offers specialized consulting and a wide range of tailor-made engineering solutions, including cold rooms for storage and freezing, cooling and freezing tunnels, climate-controlled processing rooms, refrigeration systems with temperature and humidity control, industrial chillers, and high-precision hydrocoolers.
Investing in this technology means ensuring that a full year of work results in a product ready for high-level international export.
Source: Mundoagro
Image source: Coldtech
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