Measurement of firmness of Irwin mangoes by a non-destructive acoustic tester during cold storage.
Al-Haq M. I., Sugiyama J.
Author Affiliation: Radiation and Information Technology Laboratory, National Food Research Institute, Kannondai 2-1-12, Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture 305-8642, Japan.
Transactions of the ASAE 47 : 2017-2021
Abstract : Mangoes (Mangifera indica L., cv. 'Irwin') grown in plastic greenhouses in the Okinawa Islands, Japan, were obtained and stored at 5°C, 10°C, 15°C, and in ambient conditions (20°C to 25°C) for 21 days. Their sound velocity was recorded by an instrument named the Firm Tester, which uses an acoustic transmission technique to indicate firmness index as a function of transmission velocity (TV). Magnitude of TV indicates fruit firmness. As the storage period advanced, the transmission velocity decreased. It was evident that ripened mangoes could be stored at 5°C without occurrence of chilling injury (CI), but non-ripened mangoes stored at the same temperature showed signs of CI. The Firm Tester provided a true firmness index of Irwin mangoes non-destructively. Commercialization of the Firm Tester could help the growers, packers, and retailers judge the firmness of fruit non-destructively.