It’s organic California mango season! Did you know some of the world’s best organic mangoes come from California? But get them while they last, because California mango season runs from September through October only! This “California Grown” mango fruit produce sticker really caught my eye. But after a little research online I discovered a shocking find: imported mangoes have a very hot secret that they are hiding. I’ll tell you what it is ahead. Yes, organic and locally grown produce gets another gold star for quality…
Mangoes Imported to the USA. It’s amazing what you’ll discover about your food with a little online investigation. Here I was researching the cool sticker on my organic mango, when I discovered a very dirty little secret about imported mangoes: they are hot water treated! Some raw foodies do not consider them ‘raw’ after treatment.
Hot Water Treated Mangoes. While perusing the “organic mango” googled web I found this article on living-foods.com:
“All Mangoes may not be raw! Did you know that imported mangoes must be hot water treated and may not be considered raw? Read the USDA APHIS hot water treatment guidelines. Almost all imported mangoes must be hot water treated to kill pests (fruit fly) which also is known to diminish the aroma, affect the flavor and cause a pasty flesh as well as shriveling.. Yes.. They must hot water treat organic-imported mangoes as well. The guidelines state that hot water treatment is at a minimum of 115 F. degrees. Other sources online state that the temperature should be about 122 degrees F. Treatments can last for as long as 90 minutes!” -John Kohler, living-foods.com
Pulp Heated Degrees. The PDF (link above) says that the inside pulp will reach a temperature of 78 degrees when submerged in the 115 degree hot water bath. 78 degrees isn’t above the raw-foods degree quota, but even still, I doubt all the inner pulp flesh stays as low as 78 degrees. Some mangoes, especially champagne mangoes have quite thin skin.
I did my own research and confirmed that this is true! I was a bit shocked that I had never heard this before. This is just another stepping stone confirming why you should buy organic local produce whenever possible.
And I am left to wonder…what other fruit and veggies are hot water treated?
But that’s not all. Similar to bleach-treated baby carrots, the mangoes are treated in bleach-water:
“The certifying official shall check with the manager of the facility to be sure that he is aware of the requirement for using potable water. Whenever water comes into contact with fresh produce, the water’s quality dictates the potential for pathogen contamination. To reduce the risk of food- borne
illnesses, the water used for washing, treatments, and cooling must be
fortified with sodium hypochlorite (household bleach), and constantly
maintained at a chlorine level not to exceed 200 ppm.” -PDF, link above.
Why? In short, the treatment is mainly used to kill fruit flies. Pest control. The bleach is used to purify the treatment water.
California Mango Tips: Don’t wait until these mangoes turn yellow! The green skin tone is actually an indication that it is ripe. These mangoes are left on the tree for a nice amount of time, so the natural sweetness is unrivaled by imported varieties.
Thanks a lot for the link! I will check it out. I just love mangoes – skin and all! I grew up in a tropical area and we had trees from which we would pluck ripe mangoes right off and enjoy. Thanks again!
…ok Marlene, that link is out of season. But this link is live to order them. 6 mangoes for $30 isn't a bad price for online….
http://www.1-800-organicfruitofthemonthclub.com/kemafrca.html
Kathy 🙂
Marlene,
There are several places Ive found them. FYI, they are also called "Kent" mangoes. Whole Foods had them for a while, and I bought a few at Earth Matters on the LES a few weeks ago. It's getting to be the end of the season soon, so I'd ask Whole Foods if they will have them in. You can always order them online as well! I found this link: http://www.localharvest.org/kent-mango-box-C13554
Kathy
Any tips on where to find CA mangoes in the NYC area? Hard to locate and I've been really disappointed with mango purchases of late – even organic ones. Haven't seen CA mangoes anywhere.
Isn't it! I was slightly shocked, but not really. I tasted my Cali organic mango last night and it was sooooo good. Sweet, juicy and not too fiberous. Delicious!
Kathy
How interesting! Good info to learn and I'll be looking for local!