Effect of Electron Beam Irradiation on Survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Thyphimurium in Minced Camel Meat during Refrigerated Storage

Background: Electron beam irradiation is one of the effective ways to control food-borne pathogens. We evaluated the effect of electron beam irradiation on survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella enterica serovar Thyphimurium in minced camel meat during refrigerated storage. Methods: The meat samples were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica serovar Thyphimurium and then irradiated with doses of 0, 1, 2, 3, and 5 kGy. The samples were stored at 4±1 °C and evaluated microbiologically up to 10 days. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 18. Results: The microbial loads of minced camel meat samples were significantly reduced (p<0.0001) with increasing the dose of irradiation. The most effective dose was 5 kGy that highly reduced S. enterica serovar Typhimurium, and completely destroyed E. coli O157:H7. However, E. coli O157:H7 was more sensitive to electron beam irradiation than S. enterica serovar Typhimurium. Conclusion: Electron beam irradiation effectively reduced the population of both E. coli O157:H7 and S. enterica serovar Typhimurium in minced camel meat in a dose dependent manner.