The use of acid hydrolysis for extracting minerals from shellfish for thermoluminescence detection of irradiation

Inorganic grits contained in shellfish can be used for the thermoluminescence detection of irradiation treatment. Acid hydrolysis of the flesh of the shellfish to leave the minerals behind has been explored as an alternative to the physical dissection method previously employed. The hydrolysis technique was developed and assessed using six species of shellfish (Nephrops norvegicus, brown shrimps, mediterranean crevettes, black tiger prawns, warm water shrimps and king scallops). It has also been evaluated under interlaboratory trial conditions. In all cases, excellent discrimination between irradiated and unirradiated products was obtained using hydrolysis extracts. The method produces results which are comparable or better than conventional physical extraction, and has some benefits in sample handling.