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Sweet potato has the most distinctive cold chain of any root export: it must first be cured warm, then stored warm — never refrigerated cold. Treat it like a potato and chill it, and it suffers internal breakdown and off-flavours. Cure and store it correctly, and it keeps for months and ships worldwide. This guide covers the sweet potato cold chain from harvest to reefer, and packing.
Quick answer: After harvest, sweet potatoes are cured — about 29–32°C at 85–90% RH for 4–7 days — to heal the skin, then stored warm at about 13–15°C, 85–90% RH. They are chilling-sensitive: below about 12–13°C they develop chilling injury (internal breakdown, hardcore, off-flavours). Cured and stored right, they keep for months. They ship by reefer at ~13–14°C, packed in cartons (~5–6 kg), retail bags or bulk bins. Sweet potato trades under HS code 0714.20.
Table of Contents
Step 1: Curing
Curing is the defining step. Freshly dug roots are held warm and humid — around 29–32°C at 85–90% RH for several days — which heals harvest wounds and skin, converts some starch to sugar (improving flavour), and prepares the roots to store. Skipping or rushing curing leads to decay and poor shelf life. It is the single most important post-harvest action for sweet potato.
Step 2: Warm storage (the chilling-sensitivity rule)
After curing, sweet potatoes are stored warm, around 13–15°C at 85–90% RH — not in cold refrigeration. They are chilling-sensitive: held below about 12–13°C they develop internal breakdown, “hardcore” (failure to soften when cooked) and off-flavours. This is the opposite of ordinary potatoes and the mistake that ruins consignments. Correctly stored, cured roots keep for many months.
| Stage | Temperature | Humidity / notes |
|---|---|---|
| Curing | ~29–32°C, 4–7 days | 85–90% RH; heals skin |
| Storage | ~13–15°C (never <12–13°C) | 85–90% RH; keeps for months |
| Shipping | Reefer ~13–14°C | Logged temperature |
| Packaging | Cartons (~5–6 kg), bags, bins | Washed/brushed; gentle handling |
Packaging formats
- Cartons (around 5–6 kg) — the standard for graded retail sweet potato.
- Retail bags — pre-packed for supermarket sale.
- Bulk bins — for wholesale and repacking.
Roots are usually washed or brushed, graded by size, and handled gently — the cured skin protects the root but still bruises and scuffs, so careful handling preserves appearance and shelf life.
Loading and shipping
Sweet potato ships by reefer at ~13–14°C with airflow and logged temperature — deliberately warmer than most produce, to avoid chilling injury. The long shelf life of cured roots makes sea freight straightforward for all main markets. A temperature recorder gives the buyer proof the chain stayed in the correct warm range.
Quality preservation checklist
- Cure right after harvest (~29–32°C, 85–90% RH, several days).
- Store warm at 13–15°C (never below ~12–13°C) and 85–90% RH.
- Ship by reefer at ~13–14°C with logged temperature.
- Wash/brush and grade; handle gently to avoid scuffing.
- Never refrigerate cold — cold causes internal breakdown and hardcore.
Frequently asked questions
Why must sweet potato be cured?
Curing heals the skin, improves flavour and prepares roots for months of storage; without it they decay quickly.
At what temperature is sweet potato stored?
Warm – about 13-15 degrees C at 85-90% humidity – never in cold refrigeration.
What happens if sweet potato is chilled?
It develops chilling injury: internal breakdown, hardcore (won’t soften when cooked) and off-flavours.
How long does sweet potato keep?
Many months when properly cured and stored warm.
How is it packed and shipped?
In cartons (~5-6 kg), bags or bins, shipped by reefer at ~13-14 degrees C with logged temperature.
How to cite this page
PEI Trade. “Egyptian Sweet Potato Packaging & Cold Chain.” peitrade.com, 2026. https://peitrade.com/egyptian-sweet-potato-packaging-cold-chain/
Sources
- Sweet potato post-harvest science — curing at ~29–32°C, chilling sensitivity, warm storage at 13–15°C / 85–90% RH, multi-month shelf life.
- Industry guidance — carton/bag/bin packing, washing/brushing and reefer shipping practice.
This page is part of our Egyptian Sweet Potato Export Guide hub.
Ship Egyptian sweet potato that arrives in spec with PEI Trade. Correct curing, warm chilling-sensitive storage, gentle washed-and-graded packing and logged reefer transit — for orange-flesh and specialty roots. Contact: sales@peitrade.com · WhatsApp +20 109 911 1918 · www.peitrade.com