Simultaneous Application of Electron Beam Irradiation and Freezing as an Effective Method for Shelf Life Extension of...

In this study, minced turkey meat samples were subjected to electron-beam irradiation with dosages of 0, 1.5, 3, and 5 kGy, and then microbial (mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria), physiochemical (pH, water activity [a_w], thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS], and peroxide value [PV]), and sensory (color, odor, texture, and overall acceptability) analyses were performed at 0 and 6 months of freezing storage (-18°C). Results showed that by 5 kGy irradiation and freezing treatments, the counts of psychrotrophic and mesophilic bacteria reduced remarkably (p < 0.05) and reached from 4.44 to 2.05 and from 4.9 to 2.00 log cfu/g, respectively. pH and a_w of samples did not change notably after treatment and 6 months of freezing storage, the pH and a_w of the minced turkey meat were 5.74 and 0.95 for 5 kGy irradiated samples, respectively. Despite the increase of TBARS and PV values, electron-beam irradiation at 1.5 and 3 kGy had no notable impact on the sensory characteristics of minced turkey meat. The obtained findings revealed that the simultaneous use of irradiation and freezing is a promising method for the increase of shelf life and preservation of minced turkey meat quality.