Abstract Chayote Sechium edule (Jacq.) Sw. is a vegetable with increasing export potential, cultivated in Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean, India, China, Japan, and more recently, in several European countries. The fruit is primarily consumed at its horticultural maturity stage. This species displays high morphological variability in terms of shape, size, color, and ripening indices. Despite its growing international trade relevance, current regulatory standards such as CODEX STAN 216–1999 and NMX-FF-047-1996 do not include nine commercially important varieties. To support the development and updating of standardization and metrology parameters, a comprehensive evaluation was conducted. This included morphometric traits, nutritional composition, health indicators, fruit color, shape, size, weight, firmness, presence of spines, germination behavior, physical defects, total soluble solids (TSS), ascorbic acid content, proximate analysis, and flavor profile. All fruits were obtained from a uniform agroclimatic origin using statistically representative sampling. The results revealed significant quantitative differences among varieties, supporting the need to revise and expand existing quality standards. Standardized maximum, average, and minimum values were established for key parameters including fruit type (A, B, C, D), size grade, commercial category (Extra, I, II, III), caliber-weight classification (B, M, S, VS), color metrics (L*, Chroma, Hue), mineral content (with and without epidermis), minimum biochemical thresholds, flavor (neutral, sweet, bitter), germination capacity, harvest index, and defect typology. This study provides the technical foundation to update current norms and to regulate the quality of Sechium edule fruits, particularly for varieties not currently recognized in international standards, thereby enhancing their access to global markets.
Cadena-Íñiguez et al. (Thu,) studied this question.