Cold Room Shelving in Aluminium and Stainless Steel
Discover the ALUPLAST and INOXPLAST models HACCP-compliant.
How to choose shelving for a cold room
Choosing the best shelving for a cold room requires assessing several technical, hygienic and functional aspects. Every cold room has different characteristics in terms of temperature, humidity, type of food to be stored and frequency of use. For this reason, it is important to select a structure that ensures safety, durability and full compliance with HACCP requirements.
Here are the main criteria to consider when choosing shelving:
- structure material: anodized aluminium is lightweight and corrosion-resistant, ideal for standard cold rooms; AISI 304 stainless steel offers maximum resistance, perfect for freezer rooms and very humid environments.
- type of shelves: removable food-grade polypropylene shelves are the most hygienic solution because they do not absorb moisture, withstand temperature changes and allow complete sanitisation.
- required load capacity: depending on the amount of food or products to be stored, it is important to assess the load capacity per shelf. The ALUPLAST and INOXPLAST lines offer different load capacities for standard or intensive requirements.
- modularity and configuration: the shelving must fit the cold room space perfectly. Modular structures allow custom configurations and future changes without replacing the entire system.
- low-temperature compatibility: for freezer rooms, a stainless steel structure with polypropylene shelves is recommended, as these materials remain stable even below zero.
- ease of cleaning: to avoid dirt build-up and ensure maximum hygiene, it is essential to choose shelving with smooth surfaces, no gaps and easily removable shelves.
- corrosion resistance: refrigerated environments contain humidity and condensation. A corrosion-resistant structure prevents deterioration and ensures longer service life.
- regulatory compliance: the choice should always focus on certified materials suitable for food contact and compliant with EC Regulation 852/2004.
Considering these factors, the ALUPLAST and INOXPLAST lines by Brescancin are versatile, professional solutions suitable for every type of cold room, thanks to their combination of hygienic materials, modular structures and easy-to-sanitise food-grade polypropylene shelves.
The ideal configuration depends on the intended use: ALUPLAST is perfect for standard cold rooms and medium loads, while INOXPLAST provides maximum strength for freezer rooms, high-humidity environments and intensive use.
Comparison between ALUPLAST and INOXPLAST shelving
Our cold room shelving is available in ALUPLAST and INOXPLAST, two solutions designed to ensure hygiene, corrosion resistance and full compliance with HACCP. Both lines use food-grade polypropylene, removable and easy-to-wash shelves, while the main difference lies in the material used for the load-bearing structure.
ALUPLAST Shelving
The ALUPLAST line is made with uprights and crosspieces in anodized aluminium, a lightweight, corrosion-resistant material ideal for continuous use inside cold rooms. It offers an excellent quality/price ratio, good load capacity per shelf and great handling during installation or layout changes. It is the most widely used choice in cold rooms for food laboratories, delicatessens and refrigerated warehouses.
INOXPLAST Shelving
The INOXPLAST line uses a structure in AISI 304 stainless steel, which ensures maximum resistance to humidity, condensation, chemical detergents and intensive sanitisation processes. It is recommended for heavy-duty cold rooms, high-humidity environments and sub-zero freezer rooms. The higher initial investment is offset by superior durability over time and excellent performance even in extreme conditions.
ALUPLAST vs INOXPLAST comparison table
| Feature | ALUPLAST | INOXPLAST |
|---|---|---|
| Structure material | Anodized aluminium | AISI 304 stainless steel |
| Shelves | Removable food-grade polypropylene | Removable food-grade polypropylene |
| Corrosion resistance | High | Maximum |
| Humidity resistance | Very good | Excellent |
| Sub-zero freezer compatibility | Good | Excellent |
| Load capacity per shelf | Medium-high | High |
| Structure weight | Very lightweight | Heavier |
| Service life | High | Very high |
| Ease of assembly | Very easy | Easy |
| Resistance to chemical detergents | Good | Excellent |
| Indicative cost | Lower | Higher |
| Recommended use | Standard cold rooms, delicatessens, laboratories | Freezer rooms, very humid environments, intensive use |
HACCP and food regulations
Shelving used inside cold rooms intended for food storage must comply with the requirements of EC Regulation 852/2004 and HACCP procedures regarding food hygiene and safety. Choosing the storage structure is therefore not only an organisational matter, but a key element in ensuring proper product preservation and preventing contamination.
According to HACCP guidelines, equipment installed in a cold room must be:
- hygienic: made with materials suitable for food contact and easy to sanitise
- humidity-resistant: able to maintain structural integrity even in low-temperature environments
- corrosion-resistant: essential to prevent chemical contamination or particles caused by metal corrosion
- easy to clean: with smooth, removable surfaces and no edges where organic residues can accumulate
- stable and safe: to prevent collapse, tipping or accidental contact with food
- suitable for operating temperature: even in sub-zero conditions
The shelving ALUPLAST and INOXPLAST fully meets these requirements thanks to its structure in anodized aluminium or AISI 304 stainless steel and shelves in polipropilene alimentare estraibile. This material is particularly suitable for cold room environments because it does not absorb moisture, withstands temperature changes and allows rapid sanitisation according to HACCP protocols.
The possibility of removing the shelves and washing them separately significantly reduces the risk of cross-contamination, while the modular structure keeps food raised from the floor, promoting correct air circulation and ensuring compliance with hygiene standards.
Thanks to these features, the ALUPLAST and INOXPLAST ranges are solutions compliant with European food hygiene regulations, ideal for fitting out cold rooms in laboratories, supermarkets, delicatessens, professional kitchens and food processing industries.
The cold room shelving is essential for organising and optimising space in professional refrigerated rooms. Brescancin cold room shelving is designed for those who work every day in the cold chain sector: restaurants, butcher shops, fish shops, dairies, farms, large-scale retail and food industries. These are modular shelving systems in aluminium and stainless steel with food-grade plastic shelves, designed to ensure hygiene, strength and ease of cleaning in full compliance with HACCP standards.
The range includes the ALUPLAST and INOXPLAST, disponibili in molte combinazioni di lengths from 600 to 2000 mm, depths from 300 to 600 mm and heights from 1600 to 2000 mm. The cold room shelving are mounted on round uprights with removable shelves: a strong, clean solution that is easy to custom-configure in any cold room.
Thanks to the in-house cold room configuration service, simply send the internal dimensions to receive a complete proposal with the shelving layout best suited to your spaces and loads.
Cold room shelving: why choose Brescancin
A well-organised cold room makes a real difference in daily stock management and food safety. Our cold room shelving systems and refrigerated room shelving are designed to ensure:
- Hygiene and sanitisation: certified food-grade materials, smooth surfaces and removable shelves make cleaning easier and help comply with HACCP standards.
- Long-lasting resistance: anodized aluminium, AISI 304 stainless steel and technical plastics are built to work in humid and cold rooms, down to -40 °C.
- Modularity: modular units allow linear, corner or U-shaped configurations, making the most of the entire internal surface of the room.
- High load capacities: every shelf is sized to support heavy loads, with capacities up to 270 kg per shelf depending on the length.
- Simple assembly: interlocking systems allow the shelving to be assembled quickly, without special tools.
The result is a cold room shelf that is safe, orderly and easy to manage, improving workflows and reducing cleaning times.
Available cold room shelving models
To meet different requirements in terms of budget, environment and load, Brescancin offers two families of cold room shelving and cold room shelves:
ALUPLAST Shelving
The ALUPLAST shelving are made with:
- Round anodized aluminium uprights Ø 35 mm, lightweight yet very strong.
- Food-grade plastic shelves, removable and washable.
- Modular structure suitable for rooms of any size.
They are particularly suitable for restaurants, delicatessens, professional kitchens and refrigerated warehouses requiring frequent washing.
INOXPLAST Shelving
The INOXPLAST shelving combine:
- Round AISI 304 stainless steel uprights Ø 35 mm, ideal for environments with very high hygiene standards.
- Food-grade plastic shelves, resistant, rustproof and easy to sanitise.
- Modular configurations for cold rooms, processing rooms and food preparation areas.
They are the ideal solution for dairies, food industries and processing laboratories and all companies requiring the highest standards of hygiene and durability.
Dimensions, configurations and load capacities of cold room shelving
The range of cold room shelving by Brescancin is designed to fit cold rooms of any size, both new and existing. The available combinations allow you to choose:
- Shelf lengths: from 600 to 2000 mm (600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 1100, 1200, 1300, 1400, 1500, 1600, 1700, 1800, 1900, 2000 mm).
- Depths: 300, 400, 500, 600 mm, to optimise space and passageways.
- Heights: 1600, 1800, 2000 mm, with the possibility of customisation according to requirements.
The load capacities per shelf are also calibrated to professional needs:
- 270 kg per shelf for lengths from 600 to 1000 mm.
- 200 kg per ripiano for lengths from 1100 to 1500 mm.
- 150 kg per ripiano for lengths from 1600 to 2000 mm.
All values refer to uniformly distributed load, under correct use conditions and with installation carried out according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Materials and hygiene: HACCP-compliant cold room shelving
In a professional cold room hygiene is not optional: it is a mandatory requirement. For this reason, Brescancin shelving uses only materials suitable for food contact and easy to sanitise:
- Anodized aluminium: lightweight, corrosion-resistant and ideal for uprights and load-bearing structures.
- AISI 304 stainless steel: the best choice for environments with very high hygiene standards and frequent washing.
- Food-grade plastic (polyethylene): removable, stain-resistant, non-porous panels that are easy to wash.
Removable shelves, rounded corners and smooth surfaces reduce critical points where residues can accumulate, simplifying cleaning and sanitisation procedures required by HACCP plans.
Quick assembly and compact shipping of modular shelving
Brescancin cold room shelving systems are designed to be easy to assemble and just as easy to ship and store:
- Assembly without special tools: the interlocking system allows the shelving to be assembled in just a few minutes.
- Modular elements: uprights and shelves are delivered disassembled in compact, space-saving packaging.
- Reconfiguration possibility: the shelving can be disassembled, moved and reassembled in another cold room or new area.
Fields of use for cold room shelving
The cold room shelving by Brescancin is used in many food sector and professional catering businesses:
- Restaurants, trattorias and delicatessens: organisation of kitchen cold rooms.
- Butcher shops and fish shops: orderly storage of meat, fish and prepared products.
- Dairies and dairy laboratories: storage and maturation of cheese.
- Supermarkets and large-scale retail: storage rooms for fresh products, dairy products, fruit and vegetables.
- Food industries and processing laboratories.
- Farms with storage cold rooms.
- Catering and banqueting services.
In all these contexts, modular shelving helps to keep everything organised, facilitate stock rotation and speed up daily operations .
Custom cold room configuration
Every cold room is different: this is why we offer a dedicated shelving design service . The customer can send the internal dimensions of the cold room and indicate specific requirements (type of products to be stored, access methods, any mandatory passageways).
Based on this information, we prepare a configuration layout with the most suitable proposed modules, lengths, depths and heights, optimising the available space while taking hygiene and safety standards into account.
To request a custom configuration or a quote, use the contacts section of the website.
Frequently asked questions about cold room shelving
1Which materials are best suited for cold room shelving?
The most suitable materials are anodized aluminium, AISI 304 stainless steel and food-grade plastics such as polyethylene. They are corrosion-resistant, easy to clean and suitable for use in humid and cold environments.
2How much weight can cold room shelving support?
Depending on the length, each shelf can support up to 270 kg (for lengths of 600–1000 mm), 200 kg (for 1100–1500 mm) or 150 kg (for 1600–2000 mm), with uniformly distributed load.
3Is the shelving compliant with HACCP standards?
Yes. Certified materials, smooth surfaces, removable shelves and ease of cleaning make Brescancin shelving suitable for self-control plans and HACCP standards.
4Can the cold room configuration be customised?
Certainly. We offer custom configurations based on the size of the cold room, the necessary passageways and the type of products to be stored. A complete layout plan is provided.
5Which cold room shelving models are available?
The range includes ALUPLAST shelving, with aluminium uprights, and INOXPLAST shelving, with AISI 304 stainless steel uprights. Both use food-grade plastic shelves.
6Down to what temperature can the shelving operate?
The shelving systems are designed to operate in cold rooms with working temperatures down to -40 °C.
7Must cold room shelving be raised off the floor?
Yes. HACCP standards and good hygiene practices require food not to be placed on the floor. Shelving must therefore provide at least 15 cm of clearance from the floor to allow proper cleaning.
8What is the ideal distance between shelves?
A distance of 30–40 cm is recommended to allow cold air circulation and ensure uniform cooling of food.
9Can I use galvanized iron shelving inside a cold room?
It is not recommended: galvanized iron tends to corrode with humidity and condensation. Anodized aluminium and AISI 304 stainless steel are safer and compliant materials.
10Does the shelving need to be fixed to the cold room wall?
Not necessarily. Freestanding modular structures are more hygienic and allow complete cleaning without dirt accumulation points.
11Which shelving is most suitable for sub-zero freezer rooms?
AISI 304 stainless steel structures and polypropylene shelves are the best choice for stability and resistance to low temperatures.
12How often should cold room shelving be sanitised?
It depends on the type of business, but generally sanitisation should be carried out at least once a week, with daily cleaning where required.
13Does the shelving need to be certified for food use?
Yes. It must be made with materials suitable for food contact according to European regulations (EC Reg. 852/2004).
14Does shelving load capacity change with temperature?
Yes: at very low temperatures some low-cost plastics can become rigid. Food-grade polypropylene shelves, however, maintain stability even below zero.
15Can shelving be custom-configured?
Yes. Modular systems such as ALUPLAST and INOXPLAST allow customised combinations of length, depth and height.
16What is the difference between open shelving and solid-shelf shelving?
Solid-shelf shelving provides better support and is easier to clean, while open shelving improves air circulation. The polypropylene shelves used by Brescancin combine both advantages.
