Origin Fruit Group Mango Packing Protocol

PRODUCT & PREPARATION

*Images from Mango Postharvest Best Management Practices Manual, Florida

Ripening

FIRMNESS Mango firmness decreases as the fruit matures on the tree and continues to soften during harvesting, han dling, and storage. While firmness alone is not a de finitive indicator for harvest readiness, it is useful for assessing ripeness. For mangoes exported from South America, flesh firmness should range between 67 and 89 newtons (N) when received at packinghouses. Lower firm ness is acceptable if it aligns with adequate levels of TOTAL SOLUBLE SOLIDS and flesh colour. For man goes shipped shorter distances, an initial firmness of 44 to 67 N is acceptable, with flesh colour providing a better maturity indicator. Mangoes with very high firm ness (98 N or more) early in the season are likely im mature and may show damage from heat treatment. TOTAL SOLUBLE SOLIDS (TSS) TSS measures sugar content in fruit juice, with con tributions from organic acids, amino acids, phenolic compounds, and pectins. Immature mangoes may have artificially high TSS readings due to starch inter ference. TSS levels are also affected by irrigation and rainfall, with mangoes from irrigated or rainy condi tions typically having lower TSS than those from dry fields. TSS is a better indicator of ripe fruit quality than harvest maturity.

Firmness can be measured using destructive and non destructive methods. The most common method in volves using a penetrometer with an 8 mm tip to meas ure penetration force on both cheeks after the skin is removed. Consistent skin removal depth is critical for accurate results. Alternatively, a Rex durometer can measure firmness nondestructively by taking multiple readings around the fruit's equator.

YES

NO

Grasp with whole hand.

Press with thumb.

TSS is measured with a refractometer, which provides readings in °Brix or percent TSS. Digital refractome ters reduce operator error. At harvest, mature green mangoes should have TSS of 7–9%, increasing to 14– 20% when ripe. Minimum TSS levels for export vary by destination and shipping distance. Juice for TSS measurement is commonly extracted by squeezing half a fruit onto a refractometer. This

method may overestimate TSS as juice from the ripest parts is extracted first. An alternative is to scrape juice from the fruit’s flesh or use a manual juicer for a more consistent sample. For a quicker approach, remove tissue from the equa torial region of each cheek, juice it with a lemon squeezer, and measure TSS with a digital refractometer.

Measuring firmness with a penetrometer.

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Origin Fruit Group | Mango Packing Guide