ISO INTERNATIONAL STANDARD 9376 First edition 1988-06-01 INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR STANDARDIZATION ORGANISATION INTERNATIONALE DE NORMALISATION Early potatoes -- Guide to cooling and refrigerated transport Pommes de terre de primeur - Guide pour la refrigeration et le transport refrigere Reference number ISO 9376: 1988 (E) ISO 9376 : 1988 (E) Foreword Iso (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards bodies (iso member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through Iso technical committees. Each member body interested in a subject for which a technical committee has been established has the right to be represented on that committee. International organizations, govern- mental and non-governmental, in liaison with ISo, also take part in the work. Iso collaborates closely with the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) on all matters of electrotechnical standardization. Draft International Standards adopted by the technical committees are circulated to the member bodies for approval before their acceptance as International Standards by the ISo Council. They are approved in accordance with ISo procedures requiring at least 75 % approval by the member bodies voting. International Standard ISO 9376 was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 34, Agricultural food products. Annex A is for information only. ? International Organization for Standardization,1988 Printed in Switzerland ISO9376:1988(E) INTERNATIONALSTANDARD Early potatoes s - Guide to cooling and refrigerated transport 1 Scope 2.4 Cooling is suitable only for adequately packed potatoes compatible with the maintenance of the minimum quality con- This International Standard lays down general guidelines for ditions and sizeslaid down in the relevant commercial stan- the cooling and refrigerated transport of early potatoes of the dards. species Solanum tuberosum Linnaeus, intended for direct con- sumption or food manufacture. 2.5 Potatoes intended for cooling and refrigerated transport shall be packed in mesh-bags, jute sacks or cardboard boxes, It applies to potatoes harvested before complete maturation, to with a package unit mass of up to 50 kg, or in plastic bags con- be marketed immediately, and the skin of which can be easily taining up to 2 kg, perforated to permit aeration during the removed by rubbing. short-term storage. 2.6 The minimum cooling temperature shall be between 2 Cooling 10 °C and 14 °C. This temperature allows healing of epiderm damaged during conditioning operations (washing, selection, sizing and packing), and inhibits browning, and physiological 2.1 Early potatoes intended for long-distance transport after and pathological deterioration. harvesting or to be kept for longer than 2 or 3 days before sale shall be cooled in order to maintain their quality and ap- NOTE - Transport of produce in tropical countries should be preceded pearance. by a curing period as indicated in the note in 2.3. 2.2 Potatoes intended for cooling or refrigerated transport 3 Refrigerated transport shall be protected during harvesting, avoiding exposure in the open to the damaging effects of sun, wind and rain. 3.1 The optimum temperature of transport is between 10 °C and 12 °C. The relative humidity shall be 85 % to 95 %. It is recommended not to reduce the temperature below 10 °C, or 2.3 3After harvesting,thepotatoes shall betransported direct- to raise the relative humidity above 95 %. ly to the sorting, packaging, cooling and dispatch stations in transport vehicles equipped with canvas covers. Potatoes 3.2 The bags, boxes or other packages shall be arranged in sorted and packed at the point of harvesting. s shall be transported immediately in refrigerated vehicles to the cooling the transport vehicles so as to allow aeration of the total load and maintenance of the optimum temperature level and relative anddispatchstations. humidity during transport. NOTE - Freshly