title: Elimination of coliforms and Salmonella spp. in sheep meat by gamma irradiation treatment.
abstract: This study aimed at evaluating the bacteriological effects of the treatment of sheep meat contaminated with total coliforms, coliforms at 45 °C and Salmonella spp. by using irradiation at doses of 3 kGy and 5 kGy. Thirty sheep meat samples were collected from animals located in Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil, and then grouped in three lots including 10 samples: non-irradiated (control); irradiated with 3 kGy; and irradiated with 5 kGy. Exposure to gamma radiation in a (137)Cs source-driven irradiating facility was performed at the Nuclear Defense Section of the Brazilian Army Technological Center (CTEx) in Rio de Janeiro. The samples were kept under freezing temperature (-18 °C) until the analyses, which occurred in two and four months after irradiation. The results were interpreted by comparison with the standards of the current legislation and demonstrated that non-irradiated samples were outside the parameters established by law for all groups of bacteria studied. Gamma irradiation was effective in inactivating those microorganisms at both doses tested and the optimal dose was achieved at 3 kGy. The results have shown not only the need for sanitary conditions improvements in slaughter and processing of sheep meat but also the irradiation effectiveness to eliminate coliform bacteria and Salmonella spp.
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Zootecnia e Nutrição Animal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luciana Salles Vasconcelos
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Henriques
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Tecnologia de Alimentos, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fábio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: da Costa Henry
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Tecnologia de Alimentos, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: João Batista
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Barbosa
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Tecnologia de Alimentos, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvania Alves
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ladeira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Tecnologia de Alimentos, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Silvia Menezes
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: de Faria Pereira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Isabela Maria
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: da Silva Antonio
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Sanidade Animal, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Gina Nunes
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Tecnologia de Alimentos, Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense Darcy Ribeiro, Campos dos Goytacazes, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Meire Lelis Leal
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Seção de Defesa Nuclear da Divisão de Defesa Química, Biológica e Nuclear, Centro Tecnológico do Exército, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Helio
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: de Carvalho Vital
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Enterobactérias, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Dália
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: dos Prazeres Rodrigues
authors.affiliation: Laboratório de Enterobactérias, Instituto Oswaldo Cruz, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
authors.forename: Eliane Moura Falavina
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: dos Reis
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001938:Brazil; D004203:Disinfection / Q000379:methods*; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D005516:Food Microbiology / Q000379:methods; D005720:Gamma Rays; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012756:Sheep; D013696:Temperature
keywords: food irradiation; microbiology; sheep meat quality