Overview
ISO 6660:1993 - Mangoes - Cold storage provides practical guidance for the refrigerated handling and storage of common mango varieties (Mangifera indica) intended for fresh consumption or processing. The standard covers harvest maturity criteria, pre‑storage treatments, packaging and stacking, pre‑cooling and refrigerated storage conditions, and expected storage life for a range of cultivars. It is aimed at reducing postharvest losses and extending shelf life through recommended cold‑storage best practices.
Key topics and technical requirements
- Harvest maturity criteria: firmness, skin and flesh colour, age (days since full bloom), soluble solids (refractometer at 20 °C per ISO 2173), titratable acidity (per ISO 750), relative density and fruit shape. Fruits should be harvested at full maturity; premature ripening is discouraged.
- Quality and hygiene: fruits must be sound, free from mechanical damage, physiological disorders, visible microbial or fungal attack, dirt and surface moisture.
- Pre‑storage treatments: waxing with a fungicide‑containing emulsion and drying in warm air is recommended to delay ripening; fumigation is necessary for fruit from regions with fruit‑fly infestation.
- Packaging and stacking: use ventilated crates or cartons (holes ≈30 mm) to ensure airflow; typical packing density ~250–300 kg/m³ usable space; use of pallet‑crates can increase density by ~10%.
- Pre‑cooling (préréfrigération): recommended for long storage. Typical pre‑cooling conditions: 13 °C ± 2 °C, air‑movement coefficient 100–200, relative humidity ~90%, and target temperature reached within 3–4 days.
- Refrigerated storage:
- Temperature: ISO 6660 gives recommended storage temperatures by variety (examples: Carabao 9–10 °C for 2–3 weeks; Haden and Keitt ~13 °C for 2–3 weeks; some cultivars like Company (Egypt) ~10 °C for 4–5 weeks; other varieties have specific ranges).
- Relative humidity: optimal refrigerated RH generally 85–90% (table notes up to 85–95% for some conditions); non‑refrigerated storage RH guidance ranges 60–85%.
- Air circulation: uniform airflow is essential; recommended circulation coefficient in cold rooms is 20–30 to maintain spatial temperature/humidity uniformity.
- Monitoring: periodic sampling to detect deterioration; ethylene can be used to induce ripening at 21–24 °C when required.
Applications and users
ISO 6660 is practical for:
- Mango growers and farm managers planning harvest and cold‑chain logistics
- Packhouses and postharvest handling facilities implementing pre‑cooling, waxing and fumigation
- Cold‑storage operators and exporters seeking cultivar‑specific storage regimes
- Food processors sourcing consistent raw material quality for processing
Keywords: ISO 6660, mango cold storage, refrigerated storage, postharvest handling, mango storage temperature, relative humidity, pre‑cooling, mango shelf life.
Related standards
- ISO 2173 - Determination of soluble solids (refractometric method)
- ISO 750 - Determination of titratable acidity in fruit products
- ISO 2169 - Physical conditions of refrigeration premises (definitions and measurement)
These referenced standards support analytical and environmental measurements used in implementing ISO 6660.