Chilean Blueberry Exporter: Precision Cooling for Long-Haul Shipping — CVF-4500-6P
A Chilean blueberry exporter uses a CVF-4500-6P vacuum pre-cooler to cool export-grade berries from 13°C to 0°C in 20–30 min, achieving near-zero rejection rates on 20-day sea voyages.
The Challenge
Chilean blueberries travel by sea to Asia, Europe, and North America — a 20-day voyage. Fruit that enters the container with poor core temperature control degrades significantly during transit. The exporter needed precise cooling that preserved skin integrity and kept weight loss under 2%.
The Solution
We installed a CVF-4500-6P (6-pallet) vacuum pre-cooler with a gentle ramp program for delicate export fruit:
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Model | CVF-4500-6P (6 pallet) |
| Product | Export-grade blueberry |
| Capacity | ~4,500 kg per batch |
| Cooling result | 13°C → 0°C in 20–30 min |
| Compressor | Hanbell RC2-260B |
| Refrigerant | R404A |
| Weight loss | <2% |
| Status | ✅ Running since 2014 |
The key engineering detail is the slow-pull vacuum profile. Standard pre-cooling prioritises speed; for export berries, a modulated pump-down preserves skin integrity without sacrificing thermal performance.
Results
- Near-zero rejection rates after switching to vacuum pre-cooling
- Fruit arrives at destination with full shelf life intact
- Weight loss controlled under 2% — critical for fruit priced by the kilo
- Consistent results across multiple seasons
Key Takeaway
Soft fruit for long-distance export needs a slow-pull vacuum profile. A modulated pump-down preserves skin integrity while maintaining thermal performance.
For more information, contact our engineering team at sales@vacuum-fresh.com