Comparative evaluation of two mango cultivars for fresh cut

The use of mangoes in fresh cuts is a growing sector. The aim of this experiment was to compare the effects of minimal processing on the quality and acceptance of two of the most cultivated varieties in the northeast of Brazil: ‘Palmer’ and ‘Tommy Atkins’ which were harvested from the same farm and at the same date. After minimal processing, the evaluations of fruit quality included solid soluble content (SSC), total tritratable acidity (TTA), ratio, pH, colour parameters, sensorial acceptance, microbiological security and ascorbic acid content. Seven days after processing, Salmonella spp. were absent and coliforms were below 1.0×101 UFC g(‑1), showing the minimally processed fruit were safe for consumers. High SSC was observed in ‘Palmer’ pulp, on the first and third days after slicing. However, at the end of the storage period there were no differences between cultivars, where the lowest SSC was observed. In the first day, the TA was lower in ‘Tommy Atkins’, but this was opposite in the later evaluations. These observations affected the SSC/TA ratio which changed between the first and the second evaluation. There was no difference in the b* value between the cultivars on the first day after processing, however, after six days, the “b*” value for ‘Palmer’ was greater than for ‘Tommy Atkins’, showing better yellowish aspect. The greater decrease in the “b*” value on ‘Tommy Atkins’ pulp could be attributed to a more intense enzymatic browning. For the L parameter, ‘Palmer’ showed the clearest aspect on both dates. There were no differences in the sensorial characteristics appearance, texture and global acceptance between the cultivars or between assessment times. The content of ascorbic acid differed between the cultivars on the last assessment time, where the ascorbic content ‘Palmer’ fruit was 30.82 mg 100 g(‑1) (+4.58), which was approximately nine times greater than the content for ‘Tommy Atkins’ (3.50+0.56). This is a very interesting observation and may assist in selecting the most appropriate cultivar for minimal processing.