The Effect of Irradiation and Modified Atmosphere Packaging on the Quality of Intact Chill-stored Turkey Breast

The Effect of Cooking in a Steam-convection Oven and Storage in Vacuum on the Quality of Turkey Meat

The effect of cooking on the quality of turkey meat heated by steam at different temperatures and saturation levels, and then vacuum stored at 3 °C for 28 days, was studied. The smallest cooking loss was observed in meat cooked at 220 °C and when the highest air steam saturation was applied. The rate of lipid oxidation as a result of cooking and storage was the lowest in sample cooked at 180 °C and in meat heated by 20% steam, and additionally during storage in sample treated with 0% steam. The higher cooking temperature was applied, the more intensive hydrolytic process took place in fat. Heating at 180 °C and in hot air with 0%, 70%, and 90% steam resulted in a more intensive hydrolytic process in meat during storage than other cooking parameters. The oxidation rate of -SH groups was higher in sample heated by 90% steam than the ones by 20%, 50%, and 70% steam. The use of steam saturation over 20% caused a decrease in mono-unsaturated fatty acids and an increase in saturated fatty acids content. Meat cooked at 220 °C and treated with 0% or 90% steam was characterized by better sensory attributes than other samples.

Impact of irradiation on the safety and quality of poultry and meat products: a review

For more than 100 years research on food irradiation has demonstrated that radiation will make food safer and improve the shelf life of irradiated foods. Using the current food safety technology, we may have reached the point of diminishing returns even though recent figures from the CDC show a significant drop in the number of foodborne illnesses. However, too many people continue to get sick and die from eating contaminated food. New and under utilized technologies such as food irradiation need to be re-examined to achieve new levels of safety for the food supply. Effects of irradiation on the safety and quality of meat and poultry are discussed. Irradiation control of the principle microbial pathogens including viruses, the differences among at-risk sub-populations, factors affecting the diminished rate of improvement in food safety and published D values for irradiating raw meat and poultry are presented. Currently permitted levels of irradiation are probably not sufficient to control pathogenic viruses. Typical gram-negative spoilage organisms are very sensitive to irradiation. Their destruction leads to a significant increase in the acceptable shelf life. In addition, the destruction of these normal spoilage organisms did not provide a competitive growth advantage for irradiation injured food pathogens. Another of the main focuses of this review is a detailed compilation of the effects of most of the food additives that have been proposed to minimize the negative quality effect of irradiation. Most of the antimicrobials and antioxidants used singly or in combination produced an increased lethality of irradiation and a decrease in oxidation by-products. Combinations of dosage, temperature, dietary and direct additives, storage temperature and packaging atmosphere can produce meats that the average consumer will find indistinguishable from non-irradiated meats. A discussion of the production of unique radiological by-products is also included.

Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances and Volatile Compounds in Chicken Breast Meat Infused with Plant Extracts and Subjected to Electron Beam Irradiation

The effect of irradiation on thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and volatile compounds in raw and cooked nonirradiated and irradiated chicken breast meat infused with green tea and grape seed extracts was investigated. Chicken breast meat was vacuum infused with green tea extract (3,000 ppm), grape seed extract (3,000 ppm), or their combination (at a total of 6,000 ppm), irradiated with an electron beam, and stored at 5 degrees C for 12 d. The targeted irradiation dosage was 3.0 kGy and the average absorbed dosage was 3.12 kGy. Values of TBARS and volatile compound contents of raw and cooked chicken meat were determined during the 12-d storage period. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances values ranged from 15.5 to 71.4 mg of malondialdehyde/kg for nonirradiated raw chicken and 17.3 to 80.1 mg of malondialdehyde/kg for irradiated raw chicken. Values for cooked chicken ranged from 31.4 to 386.2 and 38.4 to 504.1 mg of malondialdehyde/kg for nonirradiated and irradiated chicken, respectively. Irradiation increased TBARS and hexanal values of controls and meat infused with plant extracts. Hexanal had the highest intensity of volatiles followed by pentanal and other volatiles. Cooking the samples significantly (P < 0.05) increased the amounts of TBARS and volatiles. Addition of plant extracts decreased the amount of TBARS as well as hexanal and pentanal values. Although irradiation increases lipid oxidation, infusion of chicken meat with plant extracts could reduce lipid oxidation caused by irradiation.