Postharvest heat disinfestation treatments of mango fruit

Postharvest heat disinfestation treatments have emerged over the past decade as viable non-chemical control methods for fruit flies in mango fruit around the world. The physiological responses of mango fruit both during and following a heat treatment determine the eventual eating quality of the fruit. This review describes the methods used to heat treat mango varieties for insect disinfestation. The physiological effects of heat treatments, particularly pretreatment conditioning and hot water treatments, on the fruit are covered in detail. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.