Australian Mango Industry Association (AMIA) promotes importance of measuring and reporting on eating quality using near-infrared (NIR) technology

In July 2016 the Australian Mango Industry Association (AMIA), on board with CEO Robert Gray, asserted the importance of “measuring and reporting on eating quality [in mangoes],” and the advantage of making these measurements using near-infrared (NIR) technology in its quarterly edition of Mango Matters.

NIR instruments - a handheld “gun” that rapidly measures quality metrics like dry matter - have been employed on Australian mango farms since the late 1990’s as a way of determining mango maturity and pinpointing ideal harvest time.

Particularly, the new F-750 Produce Quality Meter, designed, engineered, and manufactured in the USA by Felix Instruments – Applied Food Science –subsidiary of CID Bio-Science founded in 1989, were conducted earlier this year by a group of Central Queensland University researchers. Results of these studies showed “that using NIR technology to measure eating quality (as measured by dry matter) will be as effective as using a refractometer to measure brix.”

As the southern hemisphere gears up for mango season, the AMIA is looking to the industry to support the implementation of the F-750 Produce Quality Meter in order to bolster their success in the 2016 season. Faster, more reliable measurements using NIR technology will help ensure a higher price for Australian mangoes no matter where they land!