Origin Fruit Group Mango Packing Protocol

PRODUCT & PREPARATION

*Images from Queensland Mango Quality Assessment Manual

Ripening Ensuring mango quality begins with harvesting ma ture fruit, which guarantees proper ripening and good flavour. A mature mango has begun internal ripening at harvest, unlike immature fruit that fails to develop the desired flavour and aroma. Internal flesh colour, which begins near the seed and progresses outward, is the most reliable indicator of maturity and ripeness. Firmness and °Brix levels provide additional refer ence points. To measure firmness, use a fruit penetrometer with an 8mm tip on the flesh after removing the skin.

BRIX: juice the flesh from an entire cheek or take a plug down to the seed and test with a refractometer. Key visual indicators include full shoulders at the stem end, signalling the mango was harvested mature, and skin colour changes from dark green to light green or yellow. Training individuals to identify these characteristics improves selection and enables better sorting by ma turity and ripeness at packinghouses. Additionally, online sorting equipment based on firmness, soluble solids content, and defect detection can streamline the process.

BLUSH AT HARVEST | The external colour of mangoes does not always reflect their internal maturity. For instance, cultivars like Keitt remain green even when fully ripe. The amount of red blush on cultivars such as Tommy Atkins is influenced more by the fruit’s position on the tree and the amount of sunlight it receives during growth, rather than its physiological development. Therefore, red blush should not be used as the sole indicator of harvest maturity in mango cultivars that exhibit this characteristic.

0–10%

10–30%

30–50%

50–70%

70–90%

100%

SKIN COLOUR

0–10%

10–30%

30–50%

50–70%

70–90%

90-100%

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Origin Fruit Group | Mango Packing Guide