Bakery & Patisserie
Refrigeration for sweet shops and mithai stores
An Indian sweet shop sells two very different kinds of mithai from the same counter. Ghee- and sugar-based dry sweets — besan ladoo, soan papdi, kaju katli, mysore pak — keep for days at room temperature. Milk-based sweets — kalakand, barfi, peda, rasgulla, rasmalai, sandesh, cham cham, rabri — are made from khoya, chenna and milk and spoil quickly in heat, especially in summer and the humid monsoon. Many shops also sell dahi, lassi, kulfi and namkeen. Then come the festivals: Diwali, Raksha Bandhan and wedding season multiply production for a few weeks, and stock is made days in advance. Refrigeration is what keeps milk sweets safe through all of this, and FSSAI has directed sweet shops to show a best-before date for loose sweets on the tray or container, which makes cold holding and stock rotation visible to every customer.
What the equipment has to cope with
- Milk-based sweets made from khoya and chenna spoil quickly in summer heat and monsoon humidity if held at room temperature.
- Dry sweets and milk sweets share one counter but need different conditions; chilling dry sweets can make them sweat and lose texture.
- Festival peaks mean production days in advance and far more stock than the shop's usual cold storage was planned for.
- Best-before dates displayed on loose-sweet trays mean shops must rotate stock carefully and know how long each sweet keeps in their conditions.
- Sweets in syrup, such as rasgulla and gulab jamun, and rabri and rasmalai need containers and space that ordinary shelves do not suit.
Typical temperatures
| Kalakand, milk barfi, peda, sandesh | +2 to +5 °C |
|---|---|
| Rasmalai, rabri and chenna sweets | +2 to +5 °C |
| Khoya and chenna (raw material) | +1 to +4 °C |
| Dahi and lassi | +2 to +5 °C |
| Kulfi | −18 °C or colder |
| Dry sweets: ladoo, soan papdi, katli | Cool, dry room temperature |
| Khoya stock for festivals (frozen) | −18 °C or colder |
Equipment
What to buy, and why.
Most sweet shops display milk sweets in refrigerated display counters at the front, while dry sweets and namkeen sit on ambient trays and shelves. A glass-door cooler holds rasgulla and rasmalai in tins or bowls, rabri cups, dahi and bottled lassi where customers can see them. In the back, upright reach-ins store khoya, chenna, milk and the next day's milk sweets made overnight. Chest freezers hold kulfi for counter sales and, before festivals, frozen khoya stock. Large mithai makers with festival-season volumes often add a walk-in cold room.
- +4 to +10 °CDisplay Cases & ShowcasesRefrigerated display for milk sweets at the counter: kalakand, barfi, peda, sandesh, cham cham and other khoya and chenna sweets.Set-up guide
- +2 to +10 °CGlass Door Refrigerator / Visi CoolerUpright display for sweets in syrup and dairy items: rasgulla and rasmalai bowls, rabri cups, dahi and bottled lassi.Set-up guide
- +2 to +8 °CReach-in RefrigeratorBack-room storage for khoya, chenna, milk and the next day's milk sweets made overnight.Set-up guide
- −18 to −60 °CDeep FreezerKulfi for counter sales and frozen khoya stock built up before festivals.Set-up guide
Questions
- Which Indian sweets need to be refrigerated?
- Milk-based sweets — kalakand, milk barfi, peda, rasmalai, rasgulla, sandesh, rabri and anything made with fresh khoya or chenna — should be kept refrigerated, especially in hot or humid weather. Ghee- and sugar-based dry sweets such as besan ladoo, soan papdi and kaju katli keep better in a cool, dry place than in a fridge, where they can absorb moisture.
- Can khoya be frozen ahead of festivals?
- Many sweet makers freeze khoya to build stock before Diwali and other peaks. Wrap it tightly in portions, freeze it quickly, and thaw it in a refrigerator rather than at room temperature. Freezing can change texture slightly, so test it in your recipes before relying on frozen stock for your best-selling sweets.
- How should a sweet shop set best-before dates for loose sweets?
- The shop decides the best-before date based on the product and its own storage conditions. Base it on how long each sweet stays good at the temperature you actually hold it, and remember that milk sweets kept chilled last much longer than the same sweets on an ambient tray in May. Check FSSAI's current guidance for the exact display requirements.
Before you buy
All guides- Reach-in vs Undercounter Refrigerator: Which to Choose6 min read
- Visi Cooler Buying Guide: Size, Glass, Placement6 min read
- Types of Commercial Refrigerators Explained6 min read
- Reach-in Refrigerator Guide for Hot Indian Kitchens6 min read
- Undercounter Refrigerator Guide: Sizes, Drawers, Fit5 min read
- Worktop Refrigerator & Counter Chiller Guide5 min read
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