# How to Keep Fruit and Vegetables Fresh Longer in the Fridge

> The right fridge temperature, what not to refrigerate, ethylene and the crisper drawers, explained from university guidance, with UAE food waste figures.

**Canonical HTML page:** https://www.protechnology.ae/keep-fruit-and-vegetables-fresh-longer
**Source:** PRO TECHnology Co. L.L.C., Dubai, United Arab Emirates

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Guide · Food freshness

# How to keep fruit and vegetables fresh longer: fridge temperature, ethylene and the crisper drawers

Published 3 November 2026 · PRO TECHnology Distribution & Retail

Most produce goes off early for three reasons: the wrong temperature, the wrong place, and ethylene from the fruit next to it. University storage guides show how to fix all three.

**The short answer:** keep the fridge at 4 °C or colder, leave bananas, tomatoes, citrus, mangoes, potatoes and onions out of it, ripen avocados, peaches and pears on the counter first, keep fruit and vegetables in separate drawers because fruit gives off ethylene, store produce in perforated bags, and wash it only just before you eat it. PRO TECHnology, which brings [Vitesy's Shelfy and Fruit Bowl](https://www.protechnology.ae/vitesy-fridge-purifier-uae) to the UAE, wrote this guide from university and UN sources; the Vitesy figures are the manufacturer's own.

- **Fridge temperature** 4 °C or colder (US FDA)

- **Spoilage speed** 2 to 3 times faster per 10 °C (FAO)

- **UAE household food waste** 99 kg per person a year (UNEP, 2022 estimate)

- **National target** Halve food loss and waste by 2030 (ne'ma)

Produce in the crisper drawer with a Shelfy fridge purifier. Image: [Vitesy](https://vitesy.com/shelfy).

## Key takeaways

- Cold slows spoilage: FAO says perishables deteriorate two to three times faster with every 10 °C rise, and the US FDA says keep the fridge at 4 °C or colder.
- Not everything belongs in the fridge. UC Davis lists bananas, citrus, mangoes, melons, pineapple, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and garlic for room temperature, and avocados, kiwifruit, peaches, pears and plums to ripen on the counter first.
- Ethylene from fruit such as apples, pears and ripe bananas yellows cucumbers and leafy greens and makes carrots bitter: keep fruit and vegetables in separate drawers.
- Leafy greens and herbs go in the high-humidity drawer, ethylene-producing fruit in the low-humidity drawer, in perforated bags, unwashed until you eat them.
- UAE households waste about 99 kg of food per person a year (UNEP, low-confidence estimate), and the UAE's ne'ma initiative aims to halve food loss and waste by 2030. [Shelfy](https://www.protechnology.ae/vitesy-fridge-purifier-uae#shelfy) and the [Vitesy Fruit Bowl](https://www.protechnology.ae/vitesy-fridge-purifier-uae#fruit-bowl) target the ethylene problem directly.

## What temperature should my fridge be?

Keep it at **4 °C or colder** and the freezer at **−18 °C**, the limits the [US FDA](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/are-you-storing-food-safely) gives. Most fridges run between about 3 and 6 °C (UC Davis), so the dial setting is not proof: a fridge thermometer, or an app such as Vitesy Hub with Shelfy, shows the real figure. Temperature matters more than anything else here, because the [FAO](https://www.fao.org/4/y5431e/y5431e04.htm) notes that perishables deteriorate two to three times faster with every 10 °C rise.

- Do not pack the fridge so full that air cannot circulate (FDA).
- Close the door quickly: every opening lets warm kitchen air in.
- Put hot food in shallow containers so it cools fast, and refrigerate it within 2 hours.
- If the fridge already smells, clean it first: [how to get rid of fridge smell](https://www.protechnology.ae/how-to-get-rid-of-fridge-smell).

## What not to put in the fridge, and what to ripen first

Cold damages some produce or stops it ripening properly. In the [UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center's storage guide](https://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/files/115275.pdf), bananas kept in the fridge develop black skin and do not get sweet, tomatoes lose their flavour, and watermelons lose flavour and colour after more than 3 days.

*Where to store common fruit and vegetables (UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center)*

| Where | Fruit | Vegetables |
|---|---|---|
| Room temperature only | Bananas, citrus (lemons, limes, oranges, mandarins), mangoes, melons, papayas, pineapple, pomegranates, watermelons; apples if eaten within a week | Tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergine, peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, dry onions, garlic, ginger, pumpkins, basil in water |
| Ripen on the counter, then the fridge | Avocados, kiwifruit, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums | None |
| Fridge | Berries, cherries, grapes, figs, cut fruit; apples kept for more than a week | Lettuce and other leafy greens, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, mushrooms, herbs except basil, cut vegetables |

UC Davis adds that cucumbers, aubergine and peppers can go in the fridge for 1 to 3 days if you use them soon after. Store potatoes, onions and garlic in a ventilated, dark place.

The room-temperature fruit is where most kitchens lose food: a fruit bowl on a warm counter. A lidded bowl with an ethylene filter, such as the [Vitesy Fruit Bowl](https://www.protechnology.ae/vitesy-fridge-purifier-uae#fruit-bowl), is designed for exactly this group; in Vitesy's test report kiwi and avocado stayed in their best eating window twice as long and bananas gained up to five days.

Vitesy Fruit Bowl: a catalytic filter in the lid works against ethylene. Image: Vitesy.

## Ethylene: why one fruit spoils the rest

Ethylene is a gas that ripening fruit gives off, and it speeds up ripening and ageing in the produce around it. [Penn State](https://www.psu.edu/news/agricultural-sciences/story/your-produce-may-be-getting-gassed-refrigerator) names most tree fruit, especially apples and pears, plus apricots, avocados, cantaloupes, nectarines, papayas and peaches, and bananas, peppers and tomatoes once fully ripe, as producers. Carrots, leafy greens, cucumbers, asparagus, lettuce, squash, parsley and mint are sensitive to it.

*Ethylene producers and the produce they damage*

| Group | Produce | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| Gives off ethylene | Apples, pears, apricots, avocados, cantaloupes, nectarines, papayas, peaches; bananas, peppers and tomatoes once fully ripe | Speeds up ripening and ageing of the produce stored near it |
| Sensitive to ethylene | Leafy greens and lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, asparagus, squash, parsley, mint, kiwifruit, potatoes | Yellow cucumbers, brown spots on lettuce, bitter carrots, tough asparagus, sprouting potatoes, soft kiwifruit |

Sources: [Penn State](https://www.psu.edu/news/agricultural-sciences/story/your-produce-may-be-getting-gassed-refrigerator); [UC Cooperative Extension](https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2011-10/123689.pdf), which notes that even 20 parts per billion of ethylene softens kiwifruit.

The fix is separation: UC Davis advises one crisper drawer for fruit and one for vegetables. Cold helps too, since low temperatures reduce sensitivity to ethylene (Penn State). A purifier that removes ethylene from the fridge air goes one step further: in [Vitesy's test report](https://vitesy.com/download/Shelfy_Test-Report_ENG.pdf), [Shelfy](https://www.protechnology.ae/vitesy-fridge-purifier-uae#shelfy) cut ethylene by 56% in 14 hours, and at 6 °C strawberries lasted 10 days instead of 3 and courgettes 22 instead of 10.

Shelfy has a Crisper mode for use inside the vegetable drawer. Image: Vitesy.

## How to use the crisper drawers

- **High humidity (vent closed):** anything that wilts, such as leafy greens, asparagus and fresh herbs ([Colorado State University Extension](https://pueblo.extension.colostate.edu/programs/family-consumer-science/maximizing-fruits-veggies/)).
- **Low humidity (vent open):** anything that rots easily and the ethylene producers, such as apples, pears, avocados and melons once cut ([University of Arkansas Extension](https://www.uaex.uada.edu/counties/miller/news/fcs/fruits-veggies/Spoiled-Rotten-How-to-Store-Fruits-and-Vegetables.aspx), Colorado State).
- **Bags:** keep refrigerated produce in perforated plastic bags; sealed bags trap carbon dioxide and moisture and speed decay (UC Davis).
- **Washing:** wash produce just before you eat or cook it, not before storing; extra moisture helps mould.
- **Use it soon:** UC Davis advises using refrigerated produce within a few days, because longer storage costs freshness and flavour.

Extension services disagree on apples: some put them in the low-humidity drawer, others in the middle. Whichever you choose, keep them away from leafy greens.

## Food waste in the UAE, in numbers

The [UNEP Food Waste Index Report 2024](https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/45963) estimates that UAE households throw away about **99 kg of food per person a year**, around 930,000 tonnes in total (a low-confidence estimate). Saudi Arabia's figure is **105 kg per person** (high confidence). Worldwide, 60% of wasted food is wasted at home, and [UNEP](https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/world-squanders-over-1-billion-meals-day-un-report) notes that hotter countries appear to waste more per person at home, partly because of weaker cold chains.

The UAE's national food loss and waste initiative, [ne'ma](https://www.nema.ae/en/about), run with the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment and the Emirates Foundation, aims to **halve food loss and waste by 2030**. In 2022 the minister put the cost of food loss and waste at Dh6 billion a year ([Khaleej Times](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-dh6-billion-worth-of-food-wasted-annually-says-minister)); that is a ministerial estimate, and the national baseline study had not published results by November 2026.

## Tools that help produce last longer

*What each tool solves*

| Tool | Problem it solves | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Fridge thermometer | Not knowing the real temperature | Cheap; check that it reads 4 °C or less |
| Perforated produce bags | Moisture and gas build-up | UC Davis recommends them for the produce drawers |
| [Shelfy](https://www.protechnology.ae/vitesy-fridge-purifier-uae#shelfy) | Ethylene, bacteria and odours in the fridge; temperature and door openings | Vitesy: produce lasts up to twice as long; rechargeable, washable filter, app |
| [Vitesy Fruit Bowl](https://www.protechnology.ae/vitesy-fridge-purifier-uae#fruit-bowl) | Fruit ripening too fast on the counter, flies and dust | Passive catalytic filter in the lid; no power; 7.5 litres |

Vitesy Hub shows the fridge temperature and has a food storage library. Image: Vitesy.

Both arrive in the UAE by 20 November 2026 through PRO TECHnology, Vitesy's exclusive distributor in the Middle East. You can reserve them below, with no payment online.

Coming soon · by 20 November 2026

## Reserve Shelfy or the Vitesy Fruit Bowl

The first shipment reaches Dubai by 20 November 2026. Choose a product and quantity; the Distribution team contacts you to confirm price and delivery as the stock lands.

## Frequently asked questions

**What temperature should my fridge be?**

4 °C or colder for the fridge and −18 °C for the freezer, as the US FDA recommends. Check it with a fridge thermometer, because the dial setting is not a reading.

**How can I keep fruit fresh longer in the fridge?**

Refrigerate only the fruit that benefits, such as berries, cherries, grapes and ripe avocados or pears. Keep it in perforated bags in its own drawer away from vegetables, keep the fridge at 4 °C or colder, and wash fruit only just before eating it.

**Which fruits and vegetables should not be refrigerated?**

UC Davis lists bananas, citrus, mangoes, melons, papayas, pineapple, pomegranates and watermelons, plus tomatoes, cucumbers, aubergine, peppers, potatoes, sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, ginger, pumpkins and basil, for room temperature.

**Which fruits produce ethylene?**

Apples and pears especially, plus apricots, avocados, cantaloupes, nectarines, papayas and peaches, and bananas, peppers and tomatoes once fully ripe, according to Penn State. Keep them away from leafy greens, cucumbers and carrots.

**Which crisper drawer is for vegetables?**

Use the high-humidity drawer, with the vent closed, for leafy greens, herbs and other vegetables that wilt, and the low-humidity drawer, vent open, for fruit that gives off ethylene, such as apples, pears and avocados.

**Should I wash fruit and vegetables before putting them in the fridge?**

No. UC Davis advises washing produce just before you prepare or eat it, because extra moisture in storage encourages mould.

**Can I keep bananas in the fridge?**

UC Davis advises against it: in the fridge bananas develop black skin and do not get sweet. Keep them at room temperature, away from other fruit you want to keep longer, or in a fruit bowl designed to manage ethylene.

**How much food is wasted in the UAE?**

UNEP's Food Waste Index Report 2024 estimates about 99 kg per person per year in UAE households, around 930,000 tonnes, as a low-confidence estimate. The UAE's ne'ma initiative aims to halve food loss and waste by 2030.

**Do fridge purifiers keep vegetables fresh longer?**

Ones that remove ethylene can. In Vitesy's test report, Shelfy cut ethylene by 56% in 14 hours, and at 6 °C strawberries lasted 10 days instead of 3. It produces no ozone and has a Crisper mode for the vegetable drawer.

## كيف أحفظ الخضار والفواكه في الثلاجة لمدة أطول؟

حافظ على حرارة الثلاجة عند 4 درجات مئوية أو أقل، واترك الموز والحمضيات والمانجو والطماطم والبطاطس والبصل خارجها، ودع الأفوكادو والخوخ والكمثرى تنضج على الطاولة أولاً. افصل الفواكه عن الخضار في درجين مختلفين لأن الفواكه تطلق غاز الإيثيلين، واستخدم أكياساً مثقّبة، ولا تغسل الخضار إلا قبل تناولها.

يقدّر تقرير مؤشر هدر الطعام 2024 الصادر عن برنامج الأمم المتحدة للبيئة هدر الطعام في منازل الإمارات بنحو 99 كيلوغراماً للفرد سنوياً، وتهدف مبادرة «نعمة» إلى خفض فقد الطعام وهدره إلى النصف بحلول 2030. ويقلّل جهاز Shelfy غاز الإيثيلين داخل الثلاجة، بينما يحمي وعاء Vitesy Fruit Bowl الفواكه على الطاولة.

## Sources

Storage advice and figures come from the pages below, read on 3 November 2026. Vitesy figures are the manufacturer's own test results.

- [UC Davis Postharvest Technology Center: Storing fresh fruits and vegetables for better taste](https://homeorchard.ucanr.edu/files/115275.pdf)
- [Penn State: Your produce may be getting gassed in the refrigerator](https://www.psu.edu/news/agricultural-sciences/story/your-produce-may-be-getting-gassed-refrigerator)
- [UC Cooperative Extension: ethylene and produce quality (Central Valley Postharvest Newsletter)](https://ucanr.edu/sites/default/files/2011-10/123689.pdf)
- [Colorado State University Extension: Maximizing fruits and veggies](https://pueblo.extension.colostate.edu/programs/family-consumer-science/maximizing-fruits-veggies/)
- [University of Arkansas Extension: How to store fruits and vegetables](https://www.uaex.uada.edu/counties/miller/news/fcs/fruits-veggies/Spoiled-Rotten-How-to-Store-Fruits-and-Vegetables.aspx)
- [US FDA: Are you storing food safely?](https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/are-you-storing-food-safely)
- [FAO: Post-harvest management of horticultural produce](https://www.fao.org/4/y5431e/y5431e04.htm)
- [UNEP: Food Waste Index Report 2024](https://wedocs.unep.org/handle/20.500.11822/45963)
- [UNEP press release, 27 March 2024](https://www.unep.org/news-and-stories/press-release/world-squanders-over-1-billion-meals-day-un-report)
- [ne'ma, the UAE National Food Loss and Waste Initiative](https://www.nema.ae/en/about)
- [Khaleej Times, 8 June 2022: food waste costs the UAE Dh6 billion a year](https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/uae-dh6-billion-worth-of-food-wasted-annually-says-minister)
- [Shelfy test report (Rev. 1, November 2023)](https://vitesy.com/download/Shelfy_Test-Report_ENG.pdf)
- [Vitesy Fruit Bowl test report (May 2026)](https://vitesy.com/download/Vitesy-Fruit-Bowl_Test-Report.pdf)

## Waste less of what you buy

Shelfy and the Vitesy Fruit Bowl arrive in the UAE by 20 November 2026. Reserve yours, or see the full range.

- [Reserve now](https://www.protechnology.ae/keep-fruit-and-vegetables-fresh-longer#vitesy-reserve)
- [See the Vitesy range](https://www.protechnology.ae/vitesy-fridge-purifier-uae)