title: Influence of dietary vitamin E on behavior of Listeria monocytogenes and color stability in ground turkey meat following electron beam irradiation.
abstract: There is growing concern that the free radical scavenging effect of antioxidants added to meats might reduce the antimicrobial effectiveness of ionizing radiation. A study was conducted to determine the effect of vitamin E on the behavior (growth) of Listeria monocytogenes and color stability in turkey meat following electron beam irradiation. Raw ground turkey breast meat from birds fed diets containing 0 (control), 50, 100, and 200 IU/kg of vitamin E was inoculated with a five-strain mixture of L. monocytogenes to give approximately 10(7) CFU/g. Inoculated samples were irradiated at 0, 0.5, 1, and 2 kGy and stored aerobically (12 days) or under vacuum (42 days) at 4 degrees C. L. monocytogenes survivors were determined by plating samples on modified Oxford medium and counting colonies on modified Oxford medium plates after 48 h at 35 degrees C. Meat color was measured using a colorimeter. Irradiation at 2.0 kGy resulted in an approximately 3.5-log reduction of initial numbers of L. monocytogenes. There were no significant differences in D-values (decimal reduction times) for L. monocytogenes in meat irrespective of vitamin E treatment (P > 0.05). Also, vitamin E treatments did not affect growth of the pathogen in aerobic or vacuum-packaged samples following irradiation (P > 0.05). Compared with controls, irradiated meat from birds fed 100 or 200 IU/kg of vitamin E demonstrated significant improvement in color stability (lightness and redness values) during aerobic storage (P < 0.05). Dietary vitamin E (100 to 200 IU/kg) has good potential for improving the color stability of turkey meat without compromising the microbial safety of the irradiated product.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, 2312 Food Sciences Building, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50010, USA.
authors.forename: Maria G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Romero
authors.forename: Aubrey F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Mendonca
authors.forename: Dong U
authors.initials: DU
authors.lastname: Ahn
authors.forename: Irene V
authors.initials: IV
authors.lastname: Wesley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003116:Color; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D005514:Food Irradiation; D005720:Gamma Rays; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000528:radiation effects; D008461:Meat Products / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000592:standards*; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D014422:Turkeys; D014618:Vacuum; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D014810:Vitamin E; D010100:Oxygen