Fruit density: A reliable indicator of sensory quality for mango

Abstract

There is constant demand from the fresh fruit sector for reliable non-destructive indicators to better predict the sensory quality of fruits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relevance of density to predict mango sensory quality at the ripening stage. Models were built from density and the day of maturation to predict physicochemical indicators of sensory quality. Density of mangoes cv. ‘Kent’ from Peru, Ivory Coast, and Brazil were assessed at the green mature stage. Sensory characteristics (sweetness, sourness, mango aroma, and firmness intensity) and physicochemical parameters (dry matter content, soluble solids content, total soluble sugar content, titratable acidity, hue angle, and firmness) were assessed on ripe mangoes after storage at 18 °C. Mangoes with a higher density had a significantly higher intensity of sweetness, mango aroma, and lower intensity of firmness than mangoes with the lower density, whatever the origin. A minimum difference in density of 0.03-0.04 g mL−1 was needed to detect significant sensory differences.Physicochemical parameters associated with sensory quality were predicted by density whatever the origin of the fruit. An increase of 0.01 g mL−1 in density respectively led to an increase of 0.5% in dry matter content, total soluble sugar content, and 0.5°Brix in soluble solid content, and a decrease in hue angle of about 2° to 2.5°. A density threshold of 1.000 g mL-1 could be applied and easily used to sort heterogeneous batches of mangoes early in the supply chain according to their sensory potential.