A PRISMA-Guided Review of Storage Techniques and Quality Outcomes. Nigerian Journal of Post-Harvest Research, 3(3), 29-44.

Due to improper handling and inadequate storage system, postharvest losses in developing countries are as high as 50% for the nutrient-rich but perishable tomato (Solanum lycopersicum). This systematic review, conducted in line with PRISMA guidelines and founded on a targeted literature search of Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, and Google Scholar (2013–2025), aimed to identify good storage practices and their effects on tomato quality. Six terms were utilized, and studies were included based on relevance, peer-review status, and focus on comparative storage outcomes. Five storage techniques, cold storage, evaporative cooling, ambient storage, refrigeration, and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP), were compared with an emphasis on the impact of storage on nutritional, physical, microbiological, and economic quality of tomatoes. Trial and reviewed paper evidence suggested that while refrigeration and MAP both maintain vitamin C and lycopene content well, their use is often limited by cost and infrastructure constraints under low-resource conditions. Cold storage, while resource demanding, remains optimal for long-term preservation. Evaporative cooling provides a low-cost alternative, reducing spoilage and weight loss modestly under rural conditions. Ambient storage, although most practiced, contributes significantly to degradation and microbial growth. Emerging and new technologies such as IoT monitoring, predictive microbial modeling, and metabolomics open up new avenues to optimize postharvest outcomes. Ultimately, this review identifies the need for context-specific, sustainable storage solutions that are a compromise of cost, availability, and technology, and proposes localized interventions to reduce tomato losses across diverse value chains and climates.