Effect of gamma radiation on refrigerated mechanically deboned chicken meat quality

Samples of mechanically deboned chicken meat (MDCM) were irradiated in the frozen form with doses of 0.0, 3.0 and 4.0 kGy, stored at 2±1 °C and evaluated for their sensory characteristics, color, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) and total psychrotrophic bacterial count for up to 12 days. The sensory analysis showed that volatile compounds associated with the odor irradiation produces, were dissipated from the samples of irradiated MDCM during storage and that the oxidation odor perceived in the samples irradiated with doses of 3.0 and 4.0 kGy was more pronounced (P<0.05) than in the non-irradiated samples, as from the 8th and 12th day of refrigeration, respectively, in agreement with the TBARS values. Irradiated MDCM showed higher values (P<0.05) for a∗ (redness) than the non-irradiated samples as from the 4th day under refrigeration. Considering the sensory analyses, color, psychrotrophic bacterial counts and TBARS analyses as a whole, the MDCM samples irradiated with doses of 0.0, 3.0 and 4.0 kGy were acceptable under refrigerated storage for 4, 10 and 6 days, respectively.