QUALITY OF KENSINGTON MANGO (MANGIFERA-INDICA LINN.) FRUIT FOLLOWING COMBINED VAPOR HEAT DISINFESTATION AND HOT-WATER DISEASE-CONTROL TREATMENTS

Changes in the quality of 'Kensington' mangoes from the two major prod uction regions in Queensland were measured after either a vapour heat treatment (VHT) in which seed surface temperature was held at 47 degre es C for 15 min, or a hot water (HW) disease control treatment of 53 d egrees C for 5 min prior to VHT, combined with either storage at 10 de grees C for 5 days followed by 22 degrees C for 5 days or storage at 2 2 degrees C for 10 days. Heat-treated mangoes had higher skin colour r atings, reflectance and chroma values, and lower hue angles than untre ated fruit, indicating an enhancement of ripening. The severity of len ticel spotting and skin browning was increased in VHT fruit. Eating qu ality of the fruit was not altered by any of the heat treatments. The HW + VHT treatment combined with continuous storage at 22 degrees C pr oduced the highest quality fruit, and is recommended for air freight m arketing. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.