Finally, mango lovers, growers and traders can keep mangoes fresh for much longer time than before and save the popular summer fruit from widespread wastage.
Researchers have found a simple way to extend the shelf life of the fragrant and nutritious fruit – a 10-minute dip in ozone-infused water before their cold storage.
New research from Edith Cowan University (ECU) proves that this process can increase the shelf life of the King of Fruits to almost one month while reducing its wastage by 40 percent.
School of Science Lecturer Dr Mekhala Vithana learned that dipping mangoes in ozonated water (aqueous ozonation) for 10 minutes before cold storage extended the cold storage life by up to two weeks, with significantly lowered occurrence of chilling injury.
“Increasing storage life of mangoes is incredibly important for both growers and traders, as it reduces food loss during storage and offers a longer market window,” Dr Vithana said, according to a Science Daily report.
While mango production, trade and consumption has expanded in recent years, preserving them in a sustainable way has defied researchers.
Besides, large quantities perish in the supply chain process as the fruits ripen quickly.
“It is estimated that about 20 per cent of the total Australian mango production is lost or wasted, and horticultural produce is responsible for about 50 per cent of the total food waste in Australia,” Dr Vithana said.
“Therefore, it is important to explore eco-friendly and cost-effective technologies to minimize post-harvest losses of mangoes.”
Normally, mangoes are picked when they are still green and stored at 13 degrees Celsius for up to 14 days.
But this temperature is not cold enough to store them for a longer time.
“Being a tropical fruit, unripe mangoes should not be stored below 12.5 degrees due to their high sensitivity to cold temperatures,” Dr Vithana said.
“Prolonged storage of mango below this temperature causes a physiological disorder known as chilling injury, which damages the fruit skin and leads to decreased marketability and significant food waste.
“Therefore, susceptibility to chilling injury is the key limitation for exploiting cold storage technology to its maximum capacity for lengthening the storage life of mangoes.”
However, according to the new study, dipping the mango in the ozonated water for 10 minutes prior to cold storage at 5 degrees Celsius, the mangoes could be preserve for a longer period and with much less chilling injury.
“Generally, Kensington Pride mango can only be stored for about two weeks without ripening at 13 degrees. However, aqueous ozonation extends the storage and shelf life of these mangoes up to 28 days, with 40 per cent less chilling injury than untreated mangoes,” Dr Vithana said.
