Optimize Quality: Mango Fruit Quality Control Solution
When you’re working with soft stone fruit like mangoes, there are many quality control standards to consider. From the growers in the field and their handling processes for picking and transporting the fruits and vegetables to wholesalers and marketing companies that act as the middleman and need to optimize their produce and storage methods to customer demand; as well as retailers and end-customers who have strong opinions about what will fly off the shelves and what will go to waste.
Without an optimized, digitized process and without post-harvest technology for mango production, you’re leaving too much up to chance. A fruit quality control tool takes all the subjectivity and guesswork out of quality control for your QC managers, and adds a single, streamlined consistent view of the whole process from end to end.
Common Defects when Growing & Harvesting Mangoes
The following mango defects are the ones that are most likely to affect mango quality across the supply chain:
Anthracnose
This fungus tends to affect mangoes as a result of wet or humid weather, and is the most damaging disease that impacts mango in humid climates. You’ll likely see large, sunken black spots on the fruit which is a tell-tale sign.
Stem End Rot
Post-harvest technology to mango might spot stem end rot, which is a disease common in drier areas than those which attract anthracnose. Leaves often become dark and roll up.
Sunburn
Moisture, strong sunlight and high heat (temperatures exceeding 100 degrees) can cause sun burn to mango fruit. This will show as a blistering of the skin, especially on the shoulders and will also impact the fruit quality itself.
Wax Burn
This is a burn that impacts mango quality that is caused by the natural wax of the fruit. It mainly affects the external appearance of the fruit, but can be off-putting to consumers and buyers.
Dendritic Spot
Small black spots on the skin and surface of the mango could be dendritic spot. While these do not regularly damage the flesh of the fruit, they can be unappealing to the consumer and impact price negotiations.
Sapburn
This is damage that is done to the skin of the mango fruit by contact with the sap from the pedicel. It can greatly reduce the lifespan of the fruit, and will look like brown blotches or sometimes streaks on the produce.
Skin Browning
Skin browning on mango fruit could be abrasion, which will look like brown scratches on the surface of the fruit, or more scruffy rub marks, or it could be due to sap, which will cause brown flecking, spots, smears or even rings.
Lenticel Spot
This is a common and less severe defect that caused a scattering of smaller brown spots over the fruit. Delaying harvest after rain or implementing more careful handling methods can reduce this defect in mango yields.
Aspergillus Rot
This fungus can cause heavy post-harvest losses in mangoes as it quickly spreads across a shipment. Post-harvest mango technology can make all the difference at spotting it early and isolating the affected fruit.
Interesting Facts about Mangoes
- There are many different varieties of mangoes and each one has its own shape, ranging from round to oval or even a S shape
- The external color is not an indication of the fruit ripening stage, there are some varieties (like Kitte & Kent) that are externally green when ready to eat.
- Mangoes are in the Anacardiaceae family - the same as cashews and pistachios!
- The country that produces the most mango is… India, at around 50% of all the mangoes in the world.
- There are almost 300 kinds of mango in the world, but about 30 are sold and consumed globally. Which is your favorite?
Common Quality Attributes for Growing and Harvesting Mangoes
The following internal and external mango attributes are commonly used for quality evaluation:
Internal Color
External Color
Diameter/Weight
Sugar
For the full list of attributes that the Clarifruit platform currently evaluates and recommended quality standards for each, download our free app now.
The Clarifruit platform also integrates with 3rd-party technology to evaluate external mango attributes. Learn more here.
