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Tomatoes are chilling-sensitive and ripen on the move, so their cold chain is about ripeness management more than maximum cold: pick at the right stage, hold cool but not cold, and let the fruit arrive at the colour the buyer wants. Store a tomato too cold and you trade shelf life for lost flavour and mealy texture. Paste, by contrast, is shelf-stable. This guide covers the tomato cold chain from harvest to reefer, ripeness stages, the paste route and packing.
Quick answer: Fresh tomatoes are chilling-sensitive and held cool, not cold — mature-green/breaker fruit around 10–13°C, riper fruit about 7–10°C, at 85–90% RH. They are climacteric (ripen after harvest, producing ethylene), so harvest ripeness stage is matched to transit time. They ship by reefer at ~10–12°C. Paste/concentrate is shelf-stable (aseptic drums or cans, ambient). Fresh trades under HS 0702.00, paste under HS 2002.90.
Table of Contents
Ripeness stage is the key decision
Because tomatoes ripen after picking, the harvest stage is matched to the journey: mature-green or breaker fruit for longer transits (ripening en route), riper fruit for short, fast routes. Getting this right means tomatoes arrive at the colour and firmness the buyer specifies — the heart of tomato cold-chain management.
Cool, but never cold
Tomatoes are chilling-sensitive: below about 7°C they suffer chilling injury — pitting, uneven ripening, mealy texture and lost flavour. So they are held cool: mature-green/breaker around 10–13°C, riper fruit 7–10°C, at 85–90% RH. As ethylene producers, they are kept away from ethylene-sensitive produce (and ethylene can be used deliberately to ripen).
| Stage / form | Temperature | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mature-green / breaker | ~10–13°C | For longer transit; ripens en route |
| Ripe / pink-red | ~7–10°C | Short, fast routes |
| Paste / concentrate | Ambient | Aseptic drums / cans, shelf-stable |
Packaging formats
- Single/double-layer cartons (commonly ~5–6 kg) of round or plum tomatoes — the standard.
- Punnets / clamshells for cherry, cocktail and vine.
- Vine/truss packed to keep clusters intact.
- Aseptic drums (e.g. 220 kg) or cans for paste/concentrate.
Fresh tomatoes are graded by colour, size and firmness and handled gently to avoid bruising.
Loading and shipping
Fresh tomatoes ship by reefer at ~10–12°C with airflow and logged temperature, never at cold setpoints that cause chilling injury. Paste ships at ambient. A temperature recorder gives the buyer proof the chain held in the correct cool range.
Quality preservation checklist
- Match harvest ripeness stage to transit time.
- Hold cool (mature-green ~10–13°C; ripe ~7–10°C), 85–90% RH — never below ~7°C.
- Keep away from (or deliberately use) ethylene as appropriate.
- Pack gently; grade by colour, size and firmness.
- Ship paste in aseptic drums/cans at ambient.
Frequently asked questions
At what temperature should fresh tomatoes be stored?
Cool – mature-green/breaker around 10-13 degrees C, riper fruit 7-10 degrees C, at 85-90% humidity. Not below ~7 degrees C.
What happens if tomatoes are stored too cold?
Chilling injury: pitting, uneven ripening, mealy texture and lost flavour.
Why does harvest stage matter?
Tomatoes ripen after picking, so the stage is matched to transit so fruit arrives at the right colour.
How is tomato paste stored and shipped?
It is shelf-stable in aseptic drums or cans and shipped at ambient temperature.
How are fresh tomatoes packed?
In single/double-layer cartons (round/plum) or punnets (cherry/cocktail/vine), graded by colour and size.
How to cite this page
PEI Trade. “Egyptian Tomato Packaging & Cold Chain.” peitrade.com, 2026. https://peitrade.com/egyptian-tomato-packaging-cold-chain/
Sources
- Tomato post-harvest science — chilling sensitivity, climacteric ripening, ripeness-stage harvesting and cool storage.
- Industry guidance — carton/punnet packing, reefer shipping, aseptic paste packaging.
This page is part of our Egyptian Tomato Export Guide hub.
Ship Egyptian tomatoes that arrive in spec with PEI Trade. Ripeness-stage harvesting, correct chilling-sensitive cool storage, gentle grading and packing, logged reefer transit, and shelf-stable aseptic paste. Contact: sales@peitrade.com · WhatsApp +20 109 911 1918 · www.peitrade.com