Hot-water quarantine treatment and water-cooling of 'Haden' mangoes

Part of Mexican-grown mangoes must be subjected to a quarantine treatment by hot water immersion (46 degrees C, 90 min) before shipment to export markets. The effects of this heat shock stress can be attenuated by cooling. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of water heating on the respiration, the histological structure and the conservation of the quality of 'Haden' mangoes as well as the effect of water cooling (21 degrees C, 30 min) and refrigeration on the recovering of the fruits. Water-heating treatment increased respiratory metabolism, and expanded the cuticle inducing the formation of small fisures. Water-cooling partially reversed the effects of the water-heating treatment. Refrigeration also reversed the effects of water heating but to a lesser degree. Neither treatment had a conspicuos effect on quality and sensorial parameters. It was concluded that water cooling should be recommended for hot water-tretaed mangoes.