title: Methods for detection of irradiation of spices.
abstract: Three types of methods for the identification of irradiation of spices were tested as potential control methods. The methods were microbiological, combining a direct epifluorescent filter technique (DEFT) with a total aerobic plate count (APC), a chemiluminescence method and chemical gas-chromatographic (GC) and GC mass-spectrometric (MS) methods for analysis of volatile oils of spices isolated by steam distillation. Twelve samples of spices, mainly peppers, were analysed before and after gamma-irradiation with doses of 10 and 50 kGy. The chemiluminescence measurements were performed before the irradiation and 10 and 100 days after the irradiation. The best methods for control purposes were the microbiological (DEFT + APC) methods combined with chemiluminescence measurements. No differences were detected between the irradiated and non-irradiated samples with the chemical methods.
authors.affiliation: Technical Research Centre of Finland, Food Research Laboratory, Espoo.
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sjöberg
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manninen
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Härmälä
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Pinnioja
mesh_terms: D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003212:Condiments / Q000592:standards*; D005514:Food Irradiation; D005516:Food Microbiology; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D008163:Luminescent Measurements