The limited industrial processing and export to European countries of fresh Mexican ‘Ataulfo’ mangoes is
attributed in part to the lack of homogeneous ripening among fruit from the same lot. A viable technology
to alleviate the situation is the application of exogenous ethylene. In this work, vacuum (34 kPa)
was applied for 20 min to ‘Ataulfo’ mangoes that were later exposed to exogenous ethylene (500, 1000
and 1500 mL L1) for 30 min and ripening was monitored. Application of vacuum did not produce
apparent visual damage to the fruit; when 1500 mL L1 ethylene were applied for 30 min after the
vacuum, induced production of internal ethylene with a concomitant increase in respiration rate.
Firmness and acidity loss proceeded faster after the fruits were exposed to vacuum and 1500 mL L1
ethylene; similarly, total soluble solids increased and pulp and peel color development was 100% in the
whole lot. An overall reduction of three days from the normal ripening time was observed attributed to
the treatments. It is proposed that short exposures to vacuum and ethylene could improve the uniformity
in mango ripening.