Determining Internal Quality of Mango Fruit

Why Determine Internal Quality of Mango Fruit? Mango (Manifera indica L.) is a tropical fruit originating in the Indo-Burma region (Mukherjee 1972) and currently grown in many tropical countries and frost-free regions in the sUbtropics. It has been cultivated for more than 4,000 years and is said to be as important to the tropics as apples to temperate America and Europe. The fruit has a unique taste, pleasant aroma and flavor, and contains more vitamin A than most fruits. It is mostly consumed raw as a dessert fruit, and small quantities are also processed into mango juice, jams, jellies, nectars, and preserves. Eastern and Asian cultures use unripe mangos for pickles and in chutney, relishes, and sauces (Wanitprapha et al. 1991; Jain 1961). Considered an exotic fruit, a good quality mango fruit is highly desired and fetches a good price in the world market. Thus, for Hawaii, which aims for the competitive but lucrative export markets and also its local/tourist market, it is of significant importance to develop a viable mango industry based on high quality fruit. In Hawaii, the commercial production of mango is still rather limited due to production techniques and practices. Shipment to the u.S. mainland is presently prohibited due to the presence of the mango weevil (Cryptorhynchus mangiferae), which is not found in other mangogrowing areas of the United States. This problem can be thwarted, either by controlled atmospheric (CA) storage, irradiation, or through development of an effective treatment to disinfest mangos of the mango weevil. Currently, mango fruits from Hawaii can be exported to Canada and some European countries without any difficulty. The potential of the mango industry in Hawaii is good due to recent interest in commercial production. The large number of tourists makes it possible to develop a local market in Hawaii. The major potential is envisioned in the export of mango fruit. While the future opening of the U.S. market to mango fruit shipped from Hawaii would improve the viability for increased commercial production, the major potential is visualized in the Far East markets. In 1989, Hong Kong imported 14.6 million lb of fresh mangos at a value of $6.1 million, Singapore imported 24.3 million lb of fresh and dried mango, avocados, mangosteens, and guavas, Japan imported 11.6 million lb of fresh mangos (Wanitprapha et al. 1991). Japan, in particular, is considered a preferred target for future export of mangos from Hawaii because of the high prices, which exceed $15,000/t, obtained for high quality mango fruits and gift fruit packages even sell for $110 per package of four fruits. Since demand for fresh mango fruits is constantly increasing, and mango imports in Europe and North American markets have increased ten-fold since 1975 (Wanitprapha et al. 1991), a major potential exists for developing the mango industry in Hawaii based on high quality fruit destined for export. An ensured supply of high quality fruit is the key to a successful export. This can be guaranteed only from productive commercial orchards with selected varieties, proper control of the harvesting of fruits with a proper degree of maturation, and selection of high quality postharvested fruits for packaging and export. With technology available to ensure high quality fruit, there will be sufficient incentive to solve the quarantine problems. In fact, ensuring high quality fruit may solve the quarantine problem. Quality of fruit consists of various attributes and is defined differently by various researchers. One of the major quality characteristics, however, which is directly related to consumer acceptance, is the fruit maturity at harvest. While in general usage, "mature" is a term that is synonymous with "ripe," most postharvest technologists consider "mature" to the stage at which a commodity has reached sufficient development that after harvesting and postharvest handling (including ripening, where required), its external and internal quality will be at least the minimal acceptable (Kader 1991). It is generally considered that the fruit ripens after it is physiologically mature. Today, there are no known external or visible changes in mango fruit which could be used for the accurate determination of internal quality. External fruit maturity indices such as color, size,