Quality of Mango cv. “Keitt” Treated with X-rays

Irradiating fruits is an approved quarantine treatment to overcome biological barriers for the export of agricultural commodities, applied to prevent the introduction or spread of quarantine pests. Currently, most irradiated fruits are treated with gamma radiation, however, due to concerns mainly associated with the mobilization of radioactive materials, the international trend is to reduce the use of radioactive devices and to look for new technologies such as x-ray generators or electron accelerators. Some research has been conducted on the use of e-beam and x-ray as post-harvest treatments, but very few on fruit quality after the treatments. Here, we focused on the effect of x-ray irradiation on the physicochemical properties of mango (Mangifera indica L.) cv. ‘Keitt’. We found that doses between 150 and 300 Gy could be applied as effective phytosanitary treatment. There were no significant differences between the irradiation treatment and the control in any of the variables measured: fruit weight, external and internal color, pH, soluble solids, firmness and on the vitamin C content. We discuss the advantages of using x-rays as an alternative to gamma radiation for phytosanitary purposes.