MICRO-TÚNEL, the rapid pre-cooling tunnel

Cold is an essential component of postharvest handling: it inhibits pathogen activity, slows down degradation processes, and preserves the organoleptic and nutritional quality of food. However, lowering and maintaining temperatures in cold storage rooms and tunnels is a costly process.
That is why techniques have been developed to adjust the temperature prior to cooling: pre-cooling.

A New Pre-Cooling Concept

Pretecval, a leading company in the refrigeration sector, developed the MICRO-TUNEL, a rapid forced-air pre-cooling tunnel. The forced air acts on the surface of the fruit, lowering its temperature and cooling the entire fruit through conduction.


It is capable of solving a significant problem in the refrigeration industry: temperature equilibrium within a container. While other systems may experience temperature imbalances of up to 8°C (meaning there will be areas within the container that differ by up to 8°C from one another), the MICRO-TUNEL maintains a temperature difference of less than 1°C at all points within the container.


In terms of energy consumption, Pretecval states that it can save producers up to 40–60% on electrical power consumption, significantly reducing utility bills.
Not only that, but thanks to optimal air circulation, cooling time is always kept to a minimum: the MICRO-TUNNEL can cool a batch of Lane-Late oranges (size 85–88) in wooden crates, starting at an inlet temperature of 20°C, down to 6°C in 90 minutes.


MICRO-TUNNEL has an interesting feature: it combines the pre-cooling chamber and the shipping chamber into a single space, allowing for better use of warehouse floor space and minimizing unnecessary handling of the produce, since the distance between the two modules is minimal. It is stackable to one or two levels without intermediate aisles, allowing for increased capacity if desired.


All these features make Pretecval’s MICRO-TUNNEL an excellent choice when selecting a pre-cooling system for a fruit and vegetable processing company.