Effect of postharvest calcium and polymeric films on ripening and peel injury in Kensington Pride mango.
Yuen C. M. C., Tan S. C., Joyce D., Chettri P.
Author Affiliation: Department of Food Science and Technology, University of New South Wales, PO Box 1, Kensington, NSW 2033, Australia.
ASEAN Food Journal 8 : 110-113
Abstract : Mature green mango cv. Kensington Pride fruits were infiltrated with 2, 4, 6 or 8% calcium chloride solution under a positive pressure of 115 kPa for 2 min or in a partial vacuum of 32 kPa. After treatment, fruits were stored at 20°C in boxes lined and covered with polyethylene film. Pressure and vacuum infiltration with CaCl2 delayed fruit ripening by approx. 12 and 8 days, respectively, compared with fruits infiltrated with water. Few differences in the effects of different CaCl2 concentrations on ripening or peel injury were observed. Vacuum-infiltrated fruits had an average peel injury score (on a scale of 1 = none to 9 = very severe) of 2.2, compared with 2.8 for pressure-infiltrated fruits. Peel injury was not reduced by reducing the pH of the CaCl2 solution during pressure-infiltration from 9 to 4. However, increasing the temperature of the fruit flesh or the CaCl2 solution during pressure infiltration (from 13 to 25° in each case), or packaging the fruits in sealed polyethylene bags or cling or shrink wraps after calcium chloride treatment, significantly reduced peel injury.