Effects of gamma irradiation on residual nitrite, residual ascorbate, color, and N-nitrosamines of cooked sausage during storage

The objective of present study was to investigate the irradiation effects on physicochemical characteristics of cooked pork sausage during storage at 4 °C. Sausage with aerobic or vacuum packaging was irradiated at 0, 5, 10 or 20 kGy. Redness in sausage was significantly reduced by irradiation at 5 kGy or above during storage in both packagings (p<0.05). Reduction of nitrosomyoglobin contents was observed in irradiated sausage with vacuum packaging. Irradiation significantly decreased the residual nitrite contents during storage, and caused partial reduction of ascorbic acid in sausage. Immediately after irradiation, N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA) in vacuum packaging and N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) under air were reduced by irradiation at 10 and 5 kGy, respectively. After storage, irradiation decreased NPYR contents in sausage with vacuum packaging.