Reefer Settings for Celery and Carrots

What is a reefer container?

A reefer container is a refrigerated shipping container with its own refrigeration unit, which holds the cargo at a set temperature during transport. For fresh celery and carrots, the reefer setpoint, the humidity and the cooling of the produce before loading are agreed together, because the official reference conditions below describe produce that is already at storage temperature.

What temperature and humidity suit celery and carrots?

USDA Agriculture Handbook 66 lists 0 °C for both crops, with 95% relative humidity for celery and 98 to 100% for mature topped carrots. The table below gives the reference figures from that handbook and from a Saudi SFDA guidance table.

Reference conditions, not a shipment specification

Item	Celery	Carrots (mature, topped)	Source
Storage temperature	0 °C	0 °C (0 to 1 °C described as essential to minimise decay and sprouting)	USDA AH66
Relative humidity	95%	98 to 100%	USDA AH66
Storage life at these conditions	Up to 5 to 7 weeks	7 to 9 months	USDA AH66
Commercial conditions noted	Less than 2 weeks of storage life at 5 °C	Often 0 to 5 °C with 90 to 95% RH, for 5 to 6 months	USDA AH66
Freezing point	-0.5 °C	-1.2 °C	USDA AH66
Transport temperature, Saudi guidance (as of 2020, check current version)	0 °C	0 °C	SFDA Giud06, Table 1

Storage life in a cold room is not the same as shelf life after a sea voyage, and the handbook figures describe optimum storage, not a shipping promise. The handbook also notes that neither crop is chilling sensitive, so both should be kept as cold as possible without freezing. The handbook gives freezing points of -0.5 °C for celery and -1.2 °C for carrots, only just below the 0 °C reference.

The handbook adds product-specific points that matter in transit:

Point	Celery	Carrots
Effect of warmer temperatures	Inner petioles may keep growing above 0 °C, reducing quality; pithiness develops more slowly at 0 °C	Commercial conditions of 0 to 5 °C and 90 to 95% RH give 5 to 6 months, against 7 to 9 months at 0 °C and 98 to 100% RH
Ethylene	Above 5 °C, ethylene above 10 µL/L speeds yellowing and pithiness	Exposure to about 0.2 µL/L ethylene causes the bitter compound isocoumarin; carrots should not be exposed to ethylene in storage
Other formats	Not covered here	Immature “cello-pack” carrots: 2 to 3 weeks at 3 to 5 °C; bunched carrots with leaves: 8 to 12 days

Why does pre-cooling matter before loading?

Pre-cooling is the rapid removal of field heat after harvest, and USDA Agriculture Handbook 66 describes it as essential for both crops. For celery, the handbook says celery is typically hydrocooled or vacuum-cooled with a chilled water spray, and that prompt pre-cooling to near 0 °C is essential to maintain freshness and crispness and for extended storage. For carrots, it says prompt washing and hydrocooling to under 5 °C are essential to maintain freshness and crispness, and that carrots typically pass through wash and flume steps before being hydrocooled in chlorinated water and packed.

Because the handbook ties freshness and crispness to prompt pre-cooling, the pre-cooling step belongs in the purchase terms next to the setpoint.

What should buyers agree with the supplier before loading?

Buyers should agree, in writing and before loading, the reefer setpoint, the relative humidity setting where the equipment allows it, and the pre-cooling step. Use the reference conditions above as a starting point and confirm the final figures with the supplier and the shipping line for each order.

Point to agree	Why	Reference to start from
Reefer setpoint	Keeps produce cold without freezing	0 °C for both crops (USDA AH66; SFDA table as of 2020)
Relative humidity	Limits moisture loss and loss of crispness	95% celery; 98 to 100% mature topped carrots (USDA AH66)
Pre-cooling before loading	Prompt pre-cooling is described as essential for freshness and crispness	Celery near 0 °C; carrots under 5 °C (USDA AH66)
Product format	Bunched or immature carrots keep for much shorter periods	See the format row in the table above

Packing and net weight for fresh celery storage and packing and for fresh carrot packing and loading are agreed for each order. How documents and checks are agreed is explained on our page on quality and residue rules by market.

Which transport rules do Saudi authorities reference?

Saudi authorities require fresh vegetables and fruits to travel refrigerated at the standard temperature for chilled produce. SFDA’s Conditions for the Clearance of Fresh Vegetables and Fruits state that the transportation method must be refrigerated and provide the standard temperature for chilled vegetables and fruits, according to the Gulf technical regulation SFDA.FD/GSO 323, General Requirements for the Transportation and Storage of Chilled and Frozen Foods. For the regulation’s detailed requirements, refer to the applicable standard.

A separate SFDA packaging guide, published in 2020, includes Table 1, “Temperatures to be followed when transporting fresh vegetables”. As of 2020 (check the current version), it lists 0 °C for carrots and 0 °C for celery. More on documents for the region is on our page on Saudi Arabia and UAE import requirements.

Key takeaways

• USDA Agriculture Handbook 66 lists 0 °C and 95% RH for celery, and 0 °C and 98 to 100% RH for mature topped carrots.
• Both crops are not chilling sensitive but freeze just below 0 °C (celery -0.5 °C, carrots -1.2 °C).
• Pre-cooling before loading is essential: celery to near 0 °C, carrots to under 5 °C.
• Keep carrots away from ethylene; exposure causes bitterness.
• Saudi rules reference SFDA.FD/GSO 323 for chilled transport, and a 2020 SFDA table lists 0 °C for both crops.

To ask for a reefer shipment plan with your quote, send product, quantity and destination port on WhatsApp at +86 19931677117 or through the request a quote form.