The aim of this work was to evaluate the conservation potential of 'Tommy Atkins' mangoes minimally processed by using different types of plastic cover to establish a passive modified atmosphere (MA). The fruits, collected in mature-green stage, showed purple-green colour (1:1), SS content of 8.9±0.3 °Brix, titratable acidity (TA) of 1.25±0.5g of citric acid.100g flesh-1 and fresh mass of 565±25g. The fruits, after sterilized in an acid solution (pH=3.0) of chlorine (NaOCl), 100mg.L-1, during 10 minutes, were chopped into parts of 0.02±0.01m of width and 0.05±0.015m of length, one more time sterilized in an acid solution (pH=3.0) of chlorine (NaOCl), 10mg.L-1, during 3 minutes. The parts, in a cube format of 0.02±0.01m width and 0.05±0.015m length, were placed in rigid poliestiren trays (0.19x0.12m), with capacity for 250g and covered with the following materials: T1 (control): low density perfured polyetilen film (LDPPF) of 0.006mm (35 perforations in the surface of the packing to simulate the conventional atmosphere); T2: LDPE film of 0.020mm; T3: LDPE film of 0.060mm; T4: LDPE film of 0.080mm; T5: polypropylene film (PP) of 0.052mm and T6: hermetic rigid polietilen tereftalate (PET), with capacity for 500mL and dimensions of 0.22x0.12x0.11m, with lid cover of the same material, without perforations and without the plastic cover. The treatments were placed in a cold chamber at -10±0.5°C and 90±3.0% of R.U. for 10 days. It was not observed significative difference among treatments for SS and TA analysis. The higher microbilogical activity was observed in fruits covered with LDPPF films of 0.006 and LDPE of 0.20mm. The lower loss of fresh matter, the best maintenance of ascorbic acid, the absence of microbiological contamination, the best visual aspect and the panelists' preference in the sensorial analysis were observed in fruits placed in PET containers.
shelf-life; modified atmosphere; Mangifera indica L.
