Effects of gamma irradiation on microbial load and quality characteristics of veal.
BACKGROUND
Veal is a rich nutrient medium that provides a suitable environment for proliferation of veal spoiling microorganisms and common food-borne pathogens. In this study, the effects of irradiation on the veal microbiological quality and half life of minced beef during chilled storage was investigated.


METHODS
Twenty samples of minced veal were irradiated with doses of 2, 5, 7, and 10 kGy (Cobalt-60, gamma cell 220) and evaluated for their microbiological quality up to 10 days.


RESULTS
The results showed that gamma irradiation reduced the number of microorganisms in all the irradiated minced veal samples, with 2, 5, 7, and 10 kGy (P < 0.01). Moreover, the half life of the samples were increased considerably (P < 0.01). In addition, the results indicated that there was a significant difference in the number of coliformes between untreated and irradiated samples (P < 0.05). While, Staphylococcus aureus could not be detected in the irradiated samples with doses of 7 and 10 kGy.


CONCLUSIONS
These results indicated that irradiation could be employed as an effective mean to inactivate common food-borne pathogens namely S. aureus and increases the half life of veal.
Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Islamic Azad University of Shahr-e-kord, Shahr-e-kord, Iran.
Ebrahim
E
Rahimi
Reza
R
Faghihi
Milad
M
Baradaran-Ghahfarokhi
Ali
A
Alavaian-Ghavanini
Hamid Reza
HR
Baradaran-Ghahfarokhi
Zahra
Z
Siavashpour
Afrouz
A
Farshadi
Farzad
F
Rafie
Gamma irradiation; microbial quality; veal