Shelf Life and Microbial Quality of Fresh‐cut Mango Cubes Stored in High CO ₂ Atmospheres

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Fresh‐cut‘Carabao’and‘Nam Dokmai’mango cubes were stored in air or in high CO 2 atmospheres (3%, 5%, and 10%) at 5 °C and 13 °C. Freshly sliced‘Carabao’mango cubes had a lower respiration rate and total bacterial count and higher L‐ascorbic acid content and firmness than‘Nam Dokmai’mango cubes. The shelf life of fresh‐cut mango, based on browning discoloration and water‐soaked appearance, was 6 d at 5 °C and 4 d at 13 °C for‘Carabao’and 2 d at 5 °C and less than 1 d at 13 °C for‘Nam Dokmai’. High CO 2 atmospheres retarded the development of water‐soaked‘Carabao’cubes at 5 °C and 13 °C and‘Nam Dokmai’cubes at 5 °C. Texture of‘Carabao’cubes was enhanced by high CO 2 , but ethanol and L‐ascorbic acid contents were not affected at 5 °C and 13 °C. Total bacterial count was lower in‘Carabao’cubes than in‘Nam Dokmai’cubes during storage at both temperatures, and a 10% CO 2 only reduced the bacterial count on‘Carabao’and‘Nam Dokmai’cubes stored at 13 °C. Bacterial flora in‘Nam Dokmai’mango cubes consisted mostly of Gram‐negative rods assigned primarily to phytopathogenic bacteria such as Pantoea agglomerans and Burkholderia cepacia . The genera of bacteria isolated from cubes stored in 10% CO 2 were similar to those from cubes on the initial day.