How do temperature, humidity, oxygen, and carbon dioxide affect stored vegetables?

After harvest, vegetables remain living organisms, meaning they continue to undergo life processes that can lead to quality deterioration, such as water loss, flavor changes, and decay. To maintain freshness, it is necessary to slow these processes without causing tissue death.1

Environmental Factors in Storage

• Temperature: This is the most critical storage parameter. Maintaining a constant, low temperature is generally essential to slow down physical and chemical reactions, reduce the growth of microorganisms, and minimize quality losses. However, storage below recommended refrigerated temperatures can cause chilling injury in certain vegetables.234
• Humidity: Vegetables with high water content require high-humidity environments to prevent excessive moisture loss, which can lead to softening and texture degradation.12
• Oxygen and Carbon Dioxide: Controlling the composition of atmospheric gases is vital for extending shelf life. By managing the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide—often through controlled-atmosphere storage—producers can further slow senescence and preserve the quality of the produce.21

Proper control of these factors, alongside selecting high-quality produce free from injury, allows for the stabilization of supply and extended consumption periods.1