title: Effect of low-dose radiation on microbiological, chemical, and sensory characteristics of chicken meat stored aerobically at 4 degrees C.
abstract: The effect of gamma-radiation (0.5, 1, and 2 kGy) on the shelf life of fresh skinless chicken breast fillets stored aerobically at 4 degrees C was evaluated. Microbiological, chemical, and sensorial changes occurring in chicken samples were monitored for 21 days. Irradiation reduced populations of bacteria, i.e., total viable bacteria, Brochothrix thermosphacta, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), and the effect was more pronounced at the highest dose (2 kGy). Pseudomonads, yeasts and molds, and Enterobacteriaceae were highly sensitive to gamma-radiation and were completely eliminated at all doses. Of the chemical indicators of spoilage, thiobarbituric values for nonirradiated and irradiated aerobically packaged chicken samples were in general low (<1 mg of malonaldehyde per kg of muscle) during refrigerated storage for 21 days. With regard to volatile amines, both trimethylamine nitrogen (TMA-N) and total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) values for nonirradiated aerobically packaged chicken increased steeply, with final values of ca. 20.3 and 58.5 mg N/100 g of muscle, respectively. Irradiated aerobically packaged chicken samples had significantly lower TMA-N and TVB-N values (P < 0.05) of ca. 2.2 to 3.6 and 30.5 to 37.1 mg N/100 g of muscle, respectively, during refrigerated storage for 21 days. Of the biogenic amines monitored, only putrescine and cadaverine were detected in significant concentrations in both nonirradiated and irradiated chicken samples, whereas histamine formation was noted only in nonirradiated samples throughout storage. On the basis of sensorial evaluation, low-dose irradiation (0.5 and 1.0 kGy) in combination with aerobic packaging extended the shelf life of fresh chicken fillets by ca. 4 to 5 days, whereas irradiation at 2.0 kGy extended the shelf life by more than 15 days compared with that of nonirradiated chicken.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Food Chemistry and Food Microbiology, Department of Chemistry, University of Ioannina, Ioannina 45110, Greece.
authors.forename: Christiana C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Balamatsia
authors.forename: Kondylia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rogga
authors.forename: Anastasia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Badeka
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kontominas
authors.forename: Ioannis N
authors.initials: IN
authors.lastname: Savvaidis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001419:Bacteria / Q000528:radiation effects*; D001679:Biogenic Amines / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D002645:Chickens; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005514:Food Irradiation; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005720:Gamma Rays; D006801:Humans; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000592:standards*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D010100:Oxygen / Q000378:metabolism; D011786:Quality Control; D013649:Taste; D013696:Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D001679:Biogenic Amines; D009584:Nitrogen; D010100:Oxygen