EFFECT OF MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING ON MANGO RIPENING

Atmospheres generated by modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) delay the ripening of certain subtropical-tropical fruits, including mango. The main factors that retain mango quality in MAP are the increased CO₂ levels and decreased O₂ levels, which reduce respiration rate and prevent water loss. However, despite its success at the laboratory level, MAP is still not a commercial technique for mango.

Mango fruits suffer from the appearance of red or green spots around the lenticels. These may result from various stresses to which the fruit is exposed in the orchard and/or during the packaging process. Storage of mango below 10-12°C accelerates the formation of red spots, symptomatic of slight chilling injury (CI). Recently, we found that MAP was effective in alleviating these CI symptoms in mango fruit. Herein, we studied the effects of reducing ethylene levels in MAP, with ethylene absorbent (EA) sachets, on mango keeping quality.