A Story From the Field: The Packing House That Used to Smell of Ripe Mangoes

Wilai owns a mango orchard and a mixed fruit garden in Si Mahosot district, Prachinburi province. Beside her house stands a medium-sized packing house where fruit from the orchard is graded, washed, wiped and packed for traders and shops in town. Inside there are stainless steel sorting tables, a short conveyor belt, shelves stacked with plastic crates, a storeroom full of cardboard boxes, and one small cold room. Last season the whole building smelled of ripe mango from morning to evening, and several of her workers said it was their favorite place to work in the village.

When the 2026 floods came, water from the low ground around the orchard flowed into the packing house and rose to almost half a meter. It stayed for days. Wilai and her son managed to lift the scales and some of the electrical equipment onto higher surfaces, but thousands of flat-packed cardboard boxes, the fruit-wrapping bags and every crate that sat on the floor went under.

When the water finally drained away, what was waiting for them was a thick, sticky layer of mud across the concrete floor, cardboard so soft it fell apart in their hands, and black-green mold creeping up the gypsum walls of the small office at the back. The cold room, which had stayed closed throughout the flood, released such a strong musty smell that they had to shut the door again almost immediately. One worker who helped carry the wet boxes outside developed itchy arms and a red rash. Wilai, who already has allergies, started sneezing every single time she walked into the office.

"The new crop will be ready before long, and our regular customers are already asking when we can deliver," Wilai said. "But with this smell and this mold, I do not dare bring any fruit inside. I am worried about hygiene, and I am worried the smell will get into the fruit." Her concern is shared by many orchard owners and packing house operators in Si Mahosot, Ban Sang and the other low-lying parts of Prachinburi now that the water has gone down.

Why a Flooded Packing House Has to Be Fixed at the Root

A packing house is the gateway every piece of fruit passes through before it reaches a customer. If the building still harbors germs or mold left behind by the flood, every fruit that moves through it has a chance of meeting that contamination. Floodwater that has flowed across fields, roads and septic tanks carries bacteria such as E. coli, organisms that cause diarrhea, and Leptospira, which causes leptospirosis. These germs settle into mud, floor joints, table legs and the space under conveyor belts, and they stay there long after the water is gone.

Health risks for workers

Packing house workers touch surfaces with their hands all day, often in a closed building. After a flood, the common risks are skin irritation and rashes from contact with mud and wet materials, infected cuts, leptospirosis if a wound comes into contact with contaminated water or mud, diarrhea from unwashed hands, and allergy symptoms such as coughing, sneezing and asthma flare-ups caused by mold spores in damp rooms. Anyone who develops a high fever or a wound that becomes red and swollen after clean-up work should see a doctor.

Risks to fruit quality

Fresh fruit is extremely sensitive to both mold and odor. Mold spores floating in the air of a packing house can land on the skin of the fruit and speed up rotting during transport. Musty odors from a cold room or moldy walls can transfer to fruit and packaging, and buyers notice. A single complaint about fruit arriving with a strange smell or early rot can damage a relationship that took years to build.

Business losses

The fruit season is short. If the packing house is not ready when the crop comes in, an orchard owner may be forced to sell ungraded fruit at a low price or lose regular customers to other growers. Restoring the packing house quickly and properly protects the income of an entire season, not just a single week.

Credibility with buyers

Many buyers, especially retailers and exporters, pay close attention to packing house hygiene. Having a clear post-flood restoration process, ideally with before-and-after photos, lets you talk to your trading partners with confidence instead of hoping they do not ask.

Common Fixes That Do Not Reach the Root Cause

• Pressure washing followed by bleach. This removes mud, which is a good start. But if organic residue remains, chlorine loses its strength quickly, and it does not reach under conveyors, behind cabinets or across the ceiling. A strong chlorine smell can also linger in a room where fruit will be handled.
• Leaving the cold room door open to dry. Humidity drops a little, but the musty smell and the mold embedded in insulation panels and door gaskets remain.
• Painting over moldy walls. It hides the problem for a short time. Mold inside gypsum board or plaster comes back as black spots within weeks.
• Air fresheners and odor sprays. These are especially unsuitable in a packing house, because synthetic fragrance can transfer to fruit, and it does nothing to the source of the smell.
• Keeping wet cardboard boxes that look dry. Boxes that seem dry may still have mold inside the paper fibers, and it can spread to new packaging stored alongside them.

The WHD Solution: Disinfection Fogging Plus Ozone Treatment, Step by Step

World Health Disinfection (WHD) restores packing houses and orchard buildings in two parts. The first is our disinfection service, using CHEMGENE HLD4H applied with ULV foggers. The fine mist reaches under sorting tables, beneath conveyor belts, across shelving and up into the roof structure. The second is our ozone treatment service, which deals with airborne mold spores and breaks down musty odor molecules trapped in walls, cold room insulation and other materials.

Our scope is the buildings: the packing hall, the cold room once it is switched off and emptied, the packaging store, the fertilizer and equipment shed, the office and the workers' housing. We do not spray disinfectant on or run ozone around the trees in your orchard, and all fruit, seedlings and potted plants must be taken out of a building before we start.

How the work is done

1. Survey and planning. We inspect every room, including the packing hall, cold room, box store and office. We assess the water line, moisture and visible mold, then set an order of work that fits the date your crop is expected.
2. Clean-up advice. We advise you to shovel out mud, discard wet cardboard, wrapping bags and any absorbent materials, and scrub tables, conveyors and floors. Workers should wear boots, gloves and masks while doing this.
3. Removing items that should not be treated. Fruit, plants, food and personal belongings leave the area. Digital scales, conveyor control panels and computers are covered or moved out.
4. ULV disinfection fogging. The disinfectant mist is applied across walls, floors, ceilings, shelves and equipment. Afterwards, surfaces that touch fruit directly, such as sorting tables and conveyor belts, should be wiped or rinsed with clean water according to the packing house's standard procedure before work begins.
5. Ozone shock treatment. The room is sealed, generators are sized to the space, and treatment runs for the planned time with no people, animals or plants inside.
6. Ventilation. Doors, windows and exhaust fans are opened so the ozone can revert to oxygen. Our team tells you when it is safe to re-enter.
7. Re-check. We check odor and mold again, paying special attention to the cold room and box store. If any area is still damp, we recommend further drying and a targeted repeat treatment.

Risk Points in Orchards and Packing Houses You Should Not Overlook

Cold rooms and ripening rooms. These are sealed spaces that hold moisture for a long time, so mold grows along gaskets, in corners and on insulation. Have a technician inspect the refrigeration system first, then clean and run ozone treatment to reduce the musty smell before any fruit goes back in.

The packaging store. Cardboard boxes, wrapping bags and paper liners that got wet should all be discarded. Once the room has been restored, stack new packaging on raised pallets and keep it away from the walls.

Fertilizer, agrochemical and equipment sheds. Keep these clearly separated from the packing area. Agrochemical containers that were flooded should be handled according to their label instructions and local authority guidance, and must never be mixed with the packing area. If a building still smells of chemicals, see our page on ozone treatment for odors and chemical residue.

Plastic crates and harvest baskets. Scrub them, dry them in the sun, and bring them into the treatment area to be disinfected together before using them for the next harvest.

Workers' housing and break rooms. These are where your team rests. Ozone treatment reduces musty odors and mold spores; learn more about residential ozone disinfection. Mosquitoes also multiply after floods, and our mosquito spraying service can be added around living areas.

Protecting Your Team During the Clean-Up

The days immediately after the water drains are when workers face the highest exposure. Mud is still wet, cardboard is still dripping, and the air inside closed rooms is heavy with moisture and spores. Before anyone starts carrying out ruined packaging, make sure everyone has rubber boots, thick rubber gloves and a well-fitting mask. Long sleeves help protect arms from the rashes that wet, contaminated materials often cause. Anyone with a cut or scrape should cover it with a waterproof dressing and change it when it gets wet.

Set up a simple washing station near the exit with clean water and soap, and ask everyone to wash their hands and forearms before eating, drinking or smoking. Keep drinking water and food well away from the work area. Rotate tasks so that nobody spends the whole day in the dampest rooms, and step outside for fresh air regularly. These habits sound basic, but in the rush to get back to business they are often forgotten, and that is when infections and allergy flare-ups happen.

It also helps to agree in advance where waste will go. Wet cardboard, wrapping bags and spoiled fruit should be collected in one place away from the packing house and removed as soon as possible, because piles of rotting material attract flies and rats and keep the smell hanging around the building. If you are unsure how to dispose of flooded agrochemical containers, ask your local authority rather than burning or burying them.

Finally, keep a short record of who worked on the clean-up and on which days. If someone later develops a fever or an infected wound, knowing when and where they were exposed helps the doctor. This kind of simple care for your team is part of a professional recovery, just as much as the disinfection and ozone treatment that follow.

10 Reasons Packing Houses Trust WHD

1. CHEMGENE HLD4H is used for surface disinfection in buildings where hygiene matters.
2. ULV mist reaches under conveyors, beneath sorting tables and into roof frames that are hard to clean by hand.
3. Ozone treatment reduces musty cold room odors without leaving synthetic fragrance behind.
4. The work is scheduled around your harvest date, so the rooms you need most are ready first.
5. Clear boundaries: we never spray or ozone your orchard trees, and fruit always leaves the room first.
6. We advise on discarding wet packaging and storing new stock correctly.
7. Ozone dose is matched to room size, and scales, control panels and electronics are covered.
8. We remind you to rinse food-contact surfaces according to your packing house procedure before work resumes.
9. The CHEMGENE 750 ml spray helps you keep door handles, switches and high-touch points clean afterwards.
10. For long-term care, the Master Ozone Generator is available for orchard owners who want their own equipment.

In an Orchard Owner's Words

"What worried me most was the smell in the cold room. We washed it and it still smelled musty. After the team disinfected and ran the ozone, the smell dropped a lot. They also explained that we had to throw out every wet box and rinse the sorting tables again before use, which gave us a clear process we could explain to our customers."
— An orchard owner in Si Mahosot district (field scenario)

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you spray or ozone the trees in the orchard?
No. Our service is for buildings. Trees, potted plants and seedlings must stay outside the work area. For tree care after flooding, please consult your local agricultural extension officer.

Can we use the sorting tables right after disinfection?
Wait until our team confirms the area can be entered, then wipe or rinse food-contact surfaces with clean water according to your packing house's standard procedure before starting work.

Can a cold room be treated with ozone?
Yes, once the system is switched off, all fruit has been removed and a technician has checked the refrigeration equipment after the flood. Door gaskets and delicate parts are protected as needed.

Can we reuse cardboard boxes that we dried in the sun?
We do not recommend it. Flood-soaked boxes may hold mold inside the fibers and lose their strength. Discard them and use a new batch.

How many days does it take?
It depends on the size of the building, the number of rooms and the level of damage. After the survey we plan the work around your harvest date.

How much does it cost?
Pricing depends on floor area and damage. Please contact us to arrange a survey and request a quotation.

Should we schedule a repeat treatment?
If the building is still damp or the smell returns during the first few weeks, fix the moisture problem first and then book a targeted repeat treatment for the affected rooms.

Can WHD also treat the house where our family lives?
Yes. Many orchard families have flooded homes as well as flooded work buildings. We can survey both on the same visit and plan disinfection and ozone treatment for the house, the packing house and the workers' rooms together, so everything recovers on one schedule.

A Practical Pre-Harvest Checklist

To make the most of the restoration work, many orchard owners find it helpful to follow a simple checklist in the days before the first fruit arrives. Start with the structure: check that the roof is not leaking, that gutters are clear and that rainwater cannot pool against the walls of the packing house. Moisture is the fuel mold needs, and a building that keeps getting wet will keep growing mold no matter how well it was treated.

Next, check the utilities. Have an electrician confirm that sockets, lights and conveyor motors are safe after the flood. Have the cold room technician confirm temperatures are stable. Make sure there is a reliable supply of clean water for washing fruit and rinsing surfaces, since contaminated water can undo all your work.

Then set up your hygiene routine. Place hand-washing points at the entrance, provide gloves and clean aprons, and agree on a daily cleaning schedule for sorting tables and crates. Keep a small log of cleaning times and any mold or odor you notice. That log becomes useful evidence for buyers who ask how you handled the flood, and it helps you spot problems early.

Finally, bring in new packaging only when the store is completely dry, and keep it on pallets away from the walls. Walk through the building once a week for the first month with your nose as well as your eyes. If a musty smell returns in a particular corner, act quickly before it spreads.

It is also worth thinking ahead to the next rainy season. Si Mahosot and much of Prachinburi sit on low, flat land where water can rise quickly after prolonged rain upstream. Simple preparations can reduce the damage next time: store packaging on high shelves instead of the floor, mount electrical sockets and control panels higher on the wall, keep a stock of sandbags for the packing house doors, and write down a short plan for which equipment gets lifted or moved first. A building that floods less, and dries faster when it does, gives mold far fewer chances to take hold. Combined with a quick professional disinfection and ozone treatment after any future flooding, these steps help an orchard business bounce back in days rather than weeks.

Get Your Packing House Ready Before the Crop Comes In

Contact the WHD team to arrange a survey of your packing house, cold room and orchard buildings in Si Mahosot and nearby areas of Prachinburi.

Book Ozone Treatment

View Our Disinfection Service

Call 065-556-6294 · LINE @whd268 · Email worldhealthdisinfection@gmail.com

Related Links

• Ozone treatment for odors and chemical residue
• CHEMGENE HLD4H disinfectant
• Residential ozone disinfection
• All articles
• External sources: WHO fact sheet on floods and the Department of Health, Thailand