Tolerance of mango cv. 'Ataulfo' to irradiation with Co-60 vs. hydrothermal phytosanitary treatment

The use of ionizing irradiation or the use of hot water treatment (HWT) has been demonstrated as a successful commercial phytosanitary treatment during the past two decades. Several countries currently use this technology for commercial treatments to meet plant quarantine requirements. However, hydrothermal treatment has been found to significantly affect the firmness of Ataulfo mango fruit, the susceptibility to damage by cold and it also accelerates their maturation. In this study, we focused on the effect of irradiation doses on the sensorial quality and the physiochemical properties of mango cv Ataulfo compared with the traditional hot water treatment. We found that doses of 150 Gy and 300 Gy of gamma radiation can be applied successfully as well as the hot water treatment. There was no significant difference in between irradiation treatments in terms of weight loss, external and internal color, pH, soluble solids, titratable acidity and firmness, and consumer's acceptance. There was no adverse effect of color appearance, odor and flavor, indicating that consumers will have the willingness to buy and consume irradiated mangoes. Irradiation of mangoes can be a successful post-harvest treatment as an alternative to the hot water treatment.