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To determine the effects of irradiation on the chemical attributes of sausages, TBARS values, volatile compounds, gaseous compounds, and hydrocarbons of vacuum-packaged sausages were analyzed during 60 d of refrigerated storage. A sulfur-containing volatile (dimethyl disulfide), a gas (methane), and radiation-induced hydrocarbons (1-tetradecene, pentadecane, heptadecane, 8-heptadecene, eicosane, 1, 7-hexadecadiene, hexadecane) were mainly detected in irradiated sausages and the concentrations of these compounds were irradiation dose-dependent with R(2) = 0.9585, 0.9431, and 0.9091-0.9977, respectively. Especially methane and a few hydrocarbons were detected only in irradiated sausages and their amounts were dose-dependent. On the other hand, TBARS values, other off-odor volatiles (carbon disulfide, hexanal), and gases (carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide) were found both in irradiated and nonirradiated sausages. Therefore, it is suggested that radiation-induced hydrocarbons (1-tetradecene, pentadecane, heptadecane, 8-heptadecene, eicosane, 1, 7-hexadecadiene, hexadecane), dimethyl disulfide, and methane can be used as markers for irradiated sausages., (Copyright © 2010 The American Meat Science Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Beef rounds aged for one, two, or three weeks after slaughtering were ground added with 0.05% ascorbic acid+0.01% α-tocopherol or 0.05% ascorbic acid+0.01% α-tocopherol+0.01% sesamol, placed on Styrofoam trays and wrapped with oxygen-permeable plastic film, and treated with electron beam irradiation at 0 or 2.5kGy. The meat samples were displayed under fluorescent light for 7d at 4°C. Color, lipid oxidation, volatile analysis, oxidation-reduction potential (ORP) and carbon monoxide (CO) production were determined at 0, 3, and 7d of storage. Irradiation increased lipid oxidation of ground beef regardless of their aging time and storage period. As aging time increased lipid oxidation increased. Adding sesamol increased the effectiveness of ascorbate and tocopherol combination in reducing lipid oxidation especially as aging and storage time increased. The redness of beef were decreased by irradiation and adding ascorbic acid and α-tocopherol before irradiation was effective in maintaining the redness of irradiated ground beef over the storage period. The combination of ascorbic acid+α-tocopherol to ground beef was more effective in reducing ORP than adding sesamol. Irradiation increased CO production from all ground beef regardless of aging time or additives treatments. Volatile sulfur compounds produced by irradiation at Day 0 disappeared over the storage period. Alcohol greatly increased in all nonirradiated beef, but volatiles aldehydes only in irradiated control beef. Antioxidant treatments were effective in reducing aldehydes in ground beef during storage.

Lipid oxidation, color, and volatiles of double-packaged pork loins with various oleoresin or oleoresin-tocopherol combinations were determined to establish the best oleoresin-tocopherol conditions that can improve the quality of irradiated raw and cooked pork loins. Rosemary and α-tocopherol combination at 0.05% and 0.02% of meat weight, respectively, showed the most potent antioxidant effects in reducing both TBARS values and the amounts of volatile aldehydes in irradiated raw and cooked pork loins. The antioxidant combination, however, did not affect the production of sulfur volatiles responsible for irradiation off-odor and showed little effects on color changes in irradiated raw and cooked pork loins. Exposing double-packaged irradiated pork to aerobic conditions for 3days during the 10-day storage was effective in controlling both lipid oxidation and irradiation off-odor, regardless of packaging sequences.

Irradiated restructured pork loins treated with rosemary-tocopherol/double-packaging had lower TBARS values than vacuum-packaged control after 10 days of refrigerated storage. The rosemary-tocopherol combination, however, had no effect on the production of sulfur volatiles responsible for the irradiation off-odor, and color changes in irradiated pork. V7/A3 double-packaging was effective in reducing the sulfur volatiles significantly. Rosemary-tocopherol combination was highly effective in reducing the volatile hexanal in irradiated restructure pork. Irradiation was effective in reducing Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium inoculated on the surface of restructured pork loin in dose-dependent manner. The irradiation D(10) values for L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium were 0.58 and 0.55kGy, respectively. During the 20 days of refrigerated storage, L. monocytogenes in both nonirradiated and irradiated samples grew gradually, but the number of S. typhimurium decreased. The added rosemary-tocopherol, however, showed little bacteriocidal effects to L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium.

The effects of adding 1%, 2% and 3% plum extract on the quality characteristics of vacuum-packaged, irradiated ready-to-eat turkey breast rolls were determined. Turkey breast rolls were sliced, packaged and irradiated at 0 or 3 kGy using a Linear Accelerator. Lipid oxidation, volatile profiles, color, texture, proximate analysis and sensory characteristics of sliced turkey breast rolls were determined at 0 and 7 days of storage. Addition of plum extract had no detectable effect on the proximate analysis of turkey breast rolls. Plum extract increased a* and b* values, and decreased L* value of turkey breast rolls due to the original color of plum extract. Addition of >2% plum extract to turkey breast rolls was effective in controlling lipid oxidation of irradiated meat and the production of aldehydes (hexanal, heptanal, octanal, and nonanal) in non-irradiated meat at Day 0. Texture of turkey breast rolls was not influenced, but juiciness was increased by plum extract. Therefore, addition of 3% or higher of plum extract is recommended to improve mouth-feel and antioxidant effect in irradiated turkey breast rolls. However, the color of turkey breast rolls with 3% plum extract was dark and might not be appealing to consumers.

The influence of temperature abuse on the quality of irradiated pork loins was investigated. Pork loins were obtained directly from a local packing plant, sliced and vacuum-packaged. Pork loins were randomly separated into 3 groups, sliced, and assigned to receive 0, 1.5, or 2.5 kGy electron-beam irradiation. Then, each chop was further cut into three equal pieces and assigned to three temperature treatments: Trt I was placed in a refrigerator directly after irradiation; Trt II was left at room temperature for 3 h before refrigeration; and Trt III was exposed at room temperature for 1 h three consecutive days with intermittent storage at 4 °C between exposures. Before irradiation, each loin pieces were vacuum-packaged. Color, 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and volatiles were measured after 0, 14, 28 and 42 days of storage, and water-holding capacity and sensory characteristics of the loins were measured after 0, 14 and 28 days of storage. Temperature abuse had no significant effect on color, oxidation, and volatiles of irradiated pork loins. However, temperature abuse improved water-holding capacity of meat, which could be caused by the accelerated hydrolysis of muscle proteins at higher temperature. Irradiation increased redness, sulfur contents in volatiles and off-odor of pork loin. Off-odor and redness induced by irradiation sustained during storage. Among sulfur compounds, the content of dimethyl disulfide decreased gradually while the level of thiourea remained relatively constant. Irradiation also increased water loss, which might be related to the structural damage in membrane during irradiation. This study shows that temperature abuse has little effect on the quality of irradiated pork.

Effect of electron-beam irradiation on the quality of ready-to-eat (RTE) turkey ham was studied. Turkey hams were purchased from local stores and sliced into 0.5 cm-thick pieces and vacuum packaged. The ham samples were randomly separated into three groups and irradiated at 0, 1, or 2 kGy, and stored at 4 °C for up to 14 days. Volatiles, color, TBARS values and sensory characteristics were determined to compare the effect of irradiation and storage on the quality of RTE turkey ham. Irradiation had little effects on color and TBARS values of RTE turkey hams. Sensory analysis indicated that sulfury odor increased as irradiation dose increased, and the contents of sulfur compounds in irradiated RTE turkey hams were higher (P <0.05) than those in nonirradiated samples. Irradiation increased (P <0.05) the production of acetaldehyde, which could be related to a metal-like flavor in irradiated hams. However, overall quality changes in RTE turkey hams by irradiation up to 2 kGy were minor.

Turkey breast meat patties, prepared from the turkeys fed diets containing 0, 50, 100, or 200 IU of dl-α-tocopheryl acetate (TA) per kg diet from 84 to 112 days of age, were aerobically packaged and irradiated at 0, 1.5, or 2.5 kGy. When dietary TA was increased from 0 to 200 IU/kg diet, plasma and muscle vitamin E levels increased by 5- and 4-fold, respectively. Dietary TA at 100 IU/kg diet significantly improved the storage stability of turkey breast, and it was more distinct in irradiated than nonirradiated meats. Both irradiation and dietary TA increased a*-values of turkey breast meat, but irradiation had a stronger impact. The redness of meat decreased during the 7-day storage, but irradiated meat maintained redder color than nonirradiated. Irradiated meat produced more sulfur volatiles and aldehydes than nonirradiated meats, and dietary TA effectively reduced these compounds during storage. The effects of dietary TA on the reduction of off-odor volatiles were more distinct in previously frozen-stored meats than in fresh meats.

Effects of the combination of aerobic and anaerobic packaging on color, lipid oxidation, and volatile production were determined to establish a modified packaging method to control quality changes in irradiated raw turkey meat. Lipid oxidation was the major problem with aerobically packaged irradiated turkey breast, while retaining characteristic irradiation off-odor volatiles such as dimethyl sulfide, dimethyl disulfide, and dimethyl trisulfide was the concern for vacuum-packaged breast during the 10-day refrigerated storage. Vacuum packaging of aerobically packaged irradiated turkey breast meat at 1 or 3 days of storage lowered the amounts of S-volatiles and lipid oxidation products compared with vacuum- and aerobically packaged meats, respectively. Irradiation increased the a-value of raw turkey breast, but exposing the irradiated meat to aerobic conditions alleviated the intensity of redness.

Dietary conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) treatment reduced color a*- and b*-values of cooked chicken breast rolls. Sensory panels rated the color of cooked chicken rolls with CLA treatments darker than the control. The production of carbon monoxide (CO) in cooked chicken rolls increased dramatically after irradiation and was correlated with the increased redness of cooked chicken rolls after irradiation. Consumer test indicated that the color of cooked chicken rolls after irradiation was preferred to the nonirradiated, but no preference for the color among the three CLA treatments was found. Irradiation greatly increased volatile production and induced a metallic off-flavor in chicken rolls. Sensory evaluation indicated that the hardness of chicken rolls increased and juiciness decreased as the dietary level of CLA increased.

Pork homogenates and patties treated with antioxidants (200 μM, final) were irradiated with an electron beam. Lipid oxidation of the pork homogenates and patties were determined at day 0 and 5 and volatile compounds were analyzed soon after irradiation. Ionizing radiation accelerated lipid oxidation and produced S-containing volatiles in pork homogenates and patties. Addition of an antioxidant (sesamol, gallate, Trolox, or α-tocopherol) and their combinations decreased, but carnosine did not affect the production of off-odor volatiles and lipid oxidation of pork homogenates and patties by irradiation. Antioxidant combinations showed distinct beneficial reduction in lipid oxidation of aerobically packaged irradiated pork patties. The effect of antioxidant combinations in reducing sulfur volatiles of irradiated pork patties was clearer under vacuum than aerobic conditions.

Irradiated meats produced more volatiles and higher 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) than nonirradiated regardless of animal species. Irradiation not only produced many new volatiles not found in nonirradiated meats but also increased the amounts of some volatiles found in nonirradiated meats. The amounts of volatiles in aerobically packaged irradiated meats decreased with storage while those of nonirradiated meats increased. TBARS values were the highest in beef loin, followed by turkey breast and pork loin regardless of irradiation, packaging, and storage time. TBARS of meats showed positive correlation with total volatiles, but preference scores between irradiated and nonirradiated were similar.

Pork sausages were prepared with lean pork meat, fat from different sources [backfat (BF), corn oil (CO) or flaxseed oil (FO); 10% of lean meat], NaCl (2%), and ice water (10%). The emulsified meat batters were stuffed into casings (3 cm in diameter) and cooked to an internal temperature of 72°C. Cooked sausages were sliced and vacuum- or aerobic-packaged individually. Sausages were irradiated at a 0, 2.5, or 4.5 kGy dose and stored in a 4°C refrigerator for 8 days. Aerobic-packaged, irradiated cooked sausages prepared with BF and FO showed higher Hunter L-values than nonirradiated controls at day 0, but the difference disappeared at day 8. Irradiation increased the Hunter a-value in vacuum-packaged cooked pork sausages regardless of the fat source used, and the increase of the Hunter a-value was dose-dependent. In contrast, the Hunter a-value decreased by irradiation in aerobic-packaged cooked pork sausages prepared with BF or FO. The Hunter a-value of cooked pork sausage with aerobic packaging was significantly reduced at day 8. Hunter b-values increased at Day 8 in irradiated cooked pork sausages except for the sausage prepared with CO at 2.5 kGy. Cooked pork sausages prepared with CO were lighter, and sausage prepared with FO was redder and more yellow (p<0.05) in vacuum packaging.

Longissimus dorsi muscle strips, approximately 20 mm long, 40 mm wide, and 5 mm thick (4 g), of pig were randomly placed in a single layer into labeled bags (four strips per bag) and packaged either aerobically or under vacuum. Samples in the bags were irradiated at 0, 5, or 10 kGy and stored at 4°C for 5 days. Lipid oxidation, the amount and identity of volatile components and sensory characteristics of raw pork strips were determined at 0 and 5 days of storage. Irradiated muscle strips produced more 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) than nonirradiated only in aerobic packaging during storage. Irradiation had no effect on the production of volatiles related to lipid oxidation, but produced a few sulfur-containing compounds not found in nonirradiated meat. This indicates that the major contributor of off-odor in irradiated meat is not lipid oxidation, but radiolytic breakdown of sulfur-containing amino acids. Many of the irradiation-dependent volatiles reduced to 50 to 25% levels during the 5-days storage under aerobic conditions. Irradiated muscle strips produced stronger irradiation odor than nonirradiated, but no irradiation dose or storage effect was found. Irradiation had no negative effect on the acceptance of meat, and approximately 70% of sensory panels characterized irradiation odor as barbecued-corn-like odor.

Effects of dietary α-linolenic acid on the fatty acid composition, storage stability and sensory characteristics of cooked pork were studied. Dietary α-linolenic acid (LNA) significantly (p < 0.05) increased the proportion of n-3 fatty acids and the degree of unsaturation in the neutral lipids and phospholipids. The increases in n-3 fatty acids were observed in the total lipids, triglycerides, phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine, and mainly consisted of C18:3n3, C20:5n3 and/or C22:5n3. The thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) values (mg malondialdehyde per kg meat) of cooked vacuum packaged loins remained below 1.5, but in loose packaged loins TBARS values increased more than 3 times those of 0 time values during 2-day storage at 4 °C. The TBARS values of loins after LNA-enrichment were significantly higher than those of the control in both vacuum and loose packaging, and the increase of unsaturation in fatty acids had a strong prooxidant effect. The increase in dietary LNA enrichment increased oxidation (TBARS values) and had a detrimental effect on the acceptability of cooked pork loins held for 2 days in loose packaging.

Twenty-four pigs were assigned to one of four ad libitum water treatments: control, sodium bicarbonate (12·6 g/litre), low ammonium chloride (4 g/litre) or high ammonium chloride (8 g/litre) for 5 days, to study the influence of an oral acid or base load on post-mortem changes in longissimus dorsi muscle and ultimate pork quality. Physiological changes before slaughter were monitored by measuring blood pH, pCO(2) and HCO(3)(-). The influence of dietary treatments on post-mortem changes and ultimate meat quality was determined by measuring glycolytic enzymes and intermediates, and muscle pH, color and water-holding capacity (WHC). As expected, sodium bicarbonate generated a metabolic alkalosis, whereas ammonium chloride resulted in a metabolic acidosis. Pre-slaughter acid-base status was positively correlated with muscle WHC (P < 0·05). However, no significant dietary treatment effect was observed in muscle quality traits such as color (a, b, L) and WHC. Muscle pH(45) was significantly (P < 0·05) higher in bicarbonate than control and high ammonium chloride treatments. The activity of Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase was significantly (P < 0·05) higher at 45 min post-mortem but that of pyruvate kinase was significantly lower at 2 and 4 h post mortem in bicarbonate-treated pigs. At 45 min post mortem, the activity of fructose-1,6-diphosphatase in the control pigs was significantly higher (P < 0·05) than on other treatments. The concentration of glycogen was significantly (P < 0·05) higher in bicarbonate and high ammonium chloride pigs; bicarbonate-treated pigs also has significantly higher adenosine-5'-triphosphate (ATP) and pH values than other treatment groups (P < 0·05) at early post-mortem. It was concluded that pre-slaughter oral loading of acid or base could induce changes in muscle metabolism and post-mortem muscle pH. Further research is required to confirm that altering diet acidogenicity or alkalinogenicity may be a means of enhancing ultimate pork quality., (Copyright © 1992. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)