RIPENING AND QUALITY CHANGES IN MANGO FRUIT AS AFFECTED BY COATING WITH AN EDIBLE FILM

Mango fruit has a relatively short storage life of about 2 to 3 weeks at 13C. In order to prolong the storage life of 'Haden' mangoes, fruit were coated with 3 concentrations (8, 16 and 24 g.L(-1)) of the edible coating film "Semperfresh" and then stored at 13C and 85% RH. Fruit were then evaluated every 4 days for up to 32 days for total soluble solids (TSS), titratable acidity (TA), pH, firmness, weight loss, color of the skin, and ascorbic acid content. All 3 concentrations applied to the fruit affected fruit ripening. TA, firmness, and green color were higher in coated fruit, and weight loss, SST, and pH were lower compared with the noncoated fruit. "Semperfresh" had no effect on decay development. Ascorbic acid decreased in all stored fruit, but this decrease was slower in coated fruit, and there were no significant differences between the different "Semperfresh" concentrations.