Inhibition of lipid oxidation in refrigerated and frozen salted raw minced chicken breasts with electron beam irradiated almond skin powder

Antioxidant effects of electron beam irradiated almond skin powder (ASP) in raw minced chicken breasts (MCB) during refrigerated and frozen storage were studied. MCB samples were treated with BHT, non-irradiated ASP (0 kGy), irradiated ASP (10 kGy, 20 kGy and 30 kGy) and compared to MCB without antioxidants. Colour was determined on initial and final day of analysis while conjugated dienes (CD), peroxide values (POV), TBARS and hexanal content were evaluated periodically for 12 days of refrigerated storage and seven months of frozen storage. ASP addition lowered L* values compared to MCB without ASP or BHT. During refrigerated storage, MCB containing ASP had decreased formation of lipid oxidation products ranging from 0 to 66%, 7 to 24%, 0 to 37% and 4 to 71% reduction in POV, CD, TBARS and hexanal content, respectively, as compared to MCB without antioxidants over duration of study. A 15–65%, 3–25%, 14–50% and 28–82% reduction in POV, CD, TBARS and hexanal content, respectively, for frozen MCB was detected.     

Electron beam irradiated almond skin powder inhibition of lipid oxidation in cooked salted ground chicken breast

Antioxidant ability of electron beam irradiated almond skin powder (ASP) in cooked refrigerated ground chicken breasts (GCB) was investigated. Phenolic compound identification, total phenols and metal binding ability was determined. GCB were treated with irradiated ASP at 10, 20 and 30 kGy and tested against a positive (with TBHQ) and negative control (GCB without ASP or TBHQ) for colour, conjugated dienes (CD), TBARS and hexanal content during one week of refrigerated storage. Irradiation had no effect on total phenols, but resulted in greater metal chelation. Addition of ASP decreased hunter L* value in GCB. The 10 kGy ASP decreased lipid oxidation to the greatest extent (35.5–52.3%, 44.0–84.0%, and 74.9–87.4% decreases in CD, TBARS and hexanal formation, respectively) as compared to the negative control over one week of refrigerated storage. In general, cooked refrigerated GCB with ASP had lower oxidation products as compared to the negative control.     

Use of natural food/plant extracts: cloudberry (Rubus Chamaemorus), beetroot (Beta Vulgaris “Vulgaris”) or willow herb (Epilobium angustifolium) to reduce lipid oxidation of cooked pork patties

The antioxidant activity of plant extracts (100 and 500 mg/kg) from cloudberry, willow herb and beetroot on thiobarbituric acid (TBA) reactive substances (TBARS) development and hexanal content of cooked pork patties was investigated. Pure quercetin, rutin and caffeic acid were tested in parallel for comparison. The most potent antioxidants on stabilizing oxidation were cloudberry extract and quercetin. The lowest antioxidant activity was found with the addition of pure rutin to the meat. Caffeic acid showed an intermediate activity. At a concentration of 100 mg/kg, beetroot and willow herb extracts showed an antioxidant activity on TBARS and hexanal contents similar to that observed for caffeic acid during 3 days of refrigerated display, while cloudberry extract was as potent as quercetin. At a concentration of 500 mg/kg, beetroot and willow herb extract stabilized hexanal production of cooked pork patties after 6 days of refrigerated storage in a way comparable to that observed for pure quercetin and cloudberry extract. TBARS numbers were well correlated with hexanal content in cooked pork patties on day 3 of refrigerated storage. However, hexanal production and TBARS numbers were not highly correlated in samples with the highest level of beetroot (500 mg/kg). Hexanal production was inhibited by the high level of beetroot, but TBARS production was not, perhaps because the red color of beetroot extract interfered with the determination of the pink TBA chromogen.     

Utilization of electron beam irradiated almond skin powder as a natural antioxidant in ground top round beef

ABSTRACT:  Defatted Carmel variety almond skin powder (ASP) irradiated at 0, 10, 20, and 30 kGy was mixed with ground top round beef at 0.5% (w/w) and stored at 4 °C. Color stability, peroxide values (PV), conjugated dienes (CD), thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS), and hexanal were determined periodically over a 2-wk period. The L values were not affected by time or treatment. Initially, the redness ( a value) was higher for both the negative control with no ASP ( a value of 21.83) and positive control with 0.01% BHT ( a value of 22.33) compared to samples that contained the ASP ( a values from 17.70 to 20.17) on day 1. This decrease in redness was attributed to the presence of the ASP. Similar to day 1, the a values were not significantly different between the 2 controls over the duration of the study. All the samples with ASP exhibited lower lipid oxidation when compared to the negative control, with greatest oxidation retardation observed at 20 and 30 kGy. Over the treatment period, a 13% to 85% reduction in PV and a 40% to 80% reduction in TBARS were observed in the sample with 30 kGy ASP compared to the negative control. Generally, PV and TBARS of samples with ASP decreased with an increase in irradiation dose. While a difference due to irradiation dose was not observed in CD and hexanal content, the values were significantly lower ( P < 0.05) than the controls over time. This study demonstrates that almond skin power could be used to extend the shelf life of refrigerated ground raw beef.     

Preservation of salted,vacuum-packaged,refrigerated sea bream (Sparus aurata) fillets by irradiation: microbiological,chemical and sensory attributes

The effect of gamma irradiation (1 and 3 kGy) on the shelf-life of salted, vacuum-packaged sea bream (Sparus aurata) fillets stored under refrigeration was studied by monitoring the microbiological, chemical and organoleptic changes occurring in fish samples. Non-irradiated, salted, vacuum-packaged fish served as control samples. Irradiation affected populations of bacteria, namely, Pseudomonas spp., H₂S-producing bacteria, Brochothrix thermosphacta, Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria. The effect was more pronounced at the higher dose (3 kGy) applied. Of the chemical indicators of spoilage, trimethylamine (TMA) values of non-irradiated, salted sea bream increased slowly to 8.87 mg N (100 g)⁻¹ flesh (whereas for irradiated, salted samples significantly lower values were obtained, reaching a final TMA value of 6.17 and 4.52 mg N (100 g)⁻¹ flesh at 1 and 3 kGy, respectively (day 42). Total volatile base nitrogen values increased slowly attaining a value of 60.52 mg N (100 g)⁻¹ for non-irradiated, salted sea bream during refrigerated storage whereas for irradiated fish, lower values of 48.13 and 37.21 mg N (100 g)⁻¹ muscle were recorded at 1 and 3 kGy, respectively (day 42). Thiobarbituric acid values for irradiated, salted sea bream samples were higher than respective non-irradiated (salted) fish, and increased slowly until day 28 of storage reaching final values of 1.01 (non-irradiated, salted), 2.15 (1 kGy) and 3.26 mg malonaldehyde kg⁻¹ flesh (3 kGy), respectively (day 42). Sensory evaluation (taste) showed a reasonably good correlation with bacterial populations. On the basis of sensorial evaluation, a shelf-life of 27–28 days was obtained for vacuum-packaged, salted sea bream irradiated at 1 or 3 kGy, compared to a shelf-life of 14–15 days for the non-irradiated, salted sample.     

The effect of γ-irradiation on the non-enzymatic browning reaction in the aqueous model solutions

Aqueous solutions of sugars (xylose, arabinose, fructose, glucose or sucrose), alone or in the presence of amino acid (lysine), were γ-irradiated at 0, 5, 10, 20 and 30 kGy at room temperature. Also evaluated were differences between irradiation and heat treatment. Absorbances at 420 nm, of the irradiated sugar–amino acid solutions, were increased although no browning was observed in the irradiated sugar or amino acid alone. The degree of browning of the irradiated sugar–amino acid solution increased with increasing irradiation dose and was dependent on the type of sugar. The non-reducing sugar, sucrose, did not react with lysine by heating for 4 h at 80 °C; however, the irradiated sucrose–lysine solution showed the non-enzymatic browning reaction and it had a higher reactivity than other sugars. For the sugar–lysine solution irradiated at 30 kGy, browning was in the following order of intensity: sucrose > fructose > arabinose > xylose > glucose. Furfural compounds (5-hydroxymethylfurfural and 2-furaldehyde) were not detected in any irradiated samples.     

Shelf life of cooked goat blood sausage prepared with the addition of heart and kidney

This study focused on the effect of two packaging formats (vacuum packaging and over-wrap packaging) on the shelf life of cooked sausage prepared with blood, heart, kidney and goat meat fragments under storage at 4 ± 1 °C for a period of 90 days. The storage time and type of packaging significantly affected the chemical (pH, moisture, protein and TBARS number), physical (shear force) and microbial (mould and yeast) parameters of cooked sausage. Vacuum packaging maintained the microbiological and chemical qualities of cooked goat blood sausage for a longer period of time (63 days) compared to over-wrap packaging (41 days) and could be a viable alternative to refrigerated storage of the product for quality maintenance.     

Quality characteristics of pork patties irradiated and stored in different packaging and storage conditions

Patties were made from pork loin, individually vacuum- or aerobic-packaged and stored either at 4 or -40°C. Refrigerated patties were irradiated at 0, 1.5, 3.0 or 4.5 kGy absorbed dose, and frozen ones were irradiated at 0, 2.5, 5.0, or 7.5 kGy. Samples were analyzed for lipid oxidation, volatile production and odor characteristics. Refrigerated samples were analyzed at 0, 1 and 2 weeks, and frozen ones after 0, 1.5 and 3 months of storage. With vacuum packaging, the lipid oxidation (TBARS) of both refrigerated and frozen patties was not influenced by irradiation and storage time except for the patties irradiated and refrigerated at 7.5 kGy. With refrigerated storage, panelists could detect irradiation odor at day 0, but not after 1 week at 4°C. With frozen storage, however, irradiation odor was detected even after 3 months of storage. With aerobic packaging, the TBARS of refrigerated pork patties increased with storage time. The TBARS of pork patties increased as irradiation dose increased at day 0, but the effect disappeared after 1 week at 4°C. Nonirradiated patties were preferred to the irradiated ones at day 0 because of the significant irradiation odor in the irradiated ones, but the off-odor disappeared after 1 week at 4°C. With frozen storage, patties irradiated at 7.5 kGy had higher TBARS than those irradiated at lower doses. Nonirradiated patties had higher preference scores than the irradiated ones for 1.5 months in frozen storage. Sulfur-containing compounds were responsible for most of the irradiation off-odor, but these volatilized quickly during storage under aerobic conditions. Overall, vacuum packaging was better than aerobic packaging for irradiation and subsequent storage of meat because it minimized oxidative changes in patties and produced minimal amounts of volatile compounds that might be responsible for irradiation off-odor during storage.     

Gamma irradiation inhibits browning in ready-to-cook (RTC) ash gourd (Benincasa hispida) during storage

Inhibition of browning in gamma irradiated (2 kGy) RTC ash gourd during storage (10 °C, 12 days) was investigated. Irradiation resulted in a significant increase in the content of α-resorcylic acid that was correlated with decreased PPO activity. Nature of the PPO inhibition was found to be of mixed and reversible type with K_i, 0.09 mM; K_is, 27.33 mM and IC₅₀ of 25 mM. During storage, the non-irradiated control samples exhibited increased oxidation of leached phenolic compounds at the surface as a consequence of changes in tissue micro-structure compared to the irradiated samples. Unlike control samples that exhibited enhanced PAL activity, quinone formation and browning, no increase in PAL activity and browning was noted in the irradiated samples during storage. Browning inhibition in stored radiation-processed (2 kGy) RTC ash gourd was thus proposed to be a synergistic effect of decreased quinone formation and reduced enzyme (PPO and PAL) activities.Industrial relevanceThe present study demonstrates the feasibility of gamma irradiation for browning inhibition in ready-to-cook (RTC) ash gourd during storage. Use of gamma irradiation for optimizing the post-processing conditions for improved visual appeal and storability of the fresh-cut produce in food industry is thus recommended. The possible use of alpha resorcylic acid as a natural browning inhibitor in fruits and vegetables is also of industrial relevance. The various approaches proposed in the study can be utilized by the food industry for maintaining visual quality of fresh-cut produce during storage thereby improving marketability of such produce.     

Physicochemical properties and sensory evaluation of Mesona Blumes gum/rice starch mixed gels as fat-substitutes in Chinese Cantonese-style sausage

Effect of Mesona Blumes gum (MBG)/rice starch mixed gels on the fat substitute of Chinese Cantonese-style sausage was investigated in this study, monitored with physicochemical properties and sensory evaluation analyses. Experimental results suggest that there were no significant differences among pH, yield, residual nitrite and TBARS of high-fat (28%), low-fat (18%) and fat-substituted (18%) sausages. The same fat content of low-fat and fat-substituted sausages would aid to compare their physicochemical properties more effectively. In addition, the emulsifying stability and water holding capacity of fat-substituted sausages were better than those of the other groups. During refrigerated storage (4 °C, 3 weeks), fat-substituted sausages reflected similar hardness, chewiness and shear force properties with those of high fat sausages and higher than those of low fat sausages. Furthermore, results of the sensory evaluation indicated that fat-substituted sausages showed superior total acceptability compared with low-fat one after a 2 week refrigerated storage, but was slightly less than that of high-fat one at the same condition. Therefore, MBG/rice starch gels can be effectively used as a fat substitute in Chinese Cantonese-style sausage allowing the manufacture of healthier sausages.     

Effect of γ-irradiation on the physicochemical and sensory properties of raw unpeeled almond kernels (Prunus dulcis)

The present study evaluated the quality of raw unpeeled almonds as a function of irradiation dose in order to determine dose levels causing minimal undesirable changes to almonds. Physicochemical (color, peroxide value, hexanal content, fatty acid composition, volatile compounds) and sensory (color, texture, odor, taste) properties of almonds were determined as a function of irradiation dose.Results showed a ten-fold increase in peroxide value (PV) after irradiation at a dose of 7 kGy. A small but statistically significant (p < 0.05) change was observed in hexanal concentration as a result of irradiation. No statistically significant (p > 0.05) changes were recorded in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) up to a dose of 7 kGy while monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) decreased manifested as a respective increase in saturated fatty acids (SFA) up to 3 kGy. Volatile compounds such as aldehydes, ketones and alcohols increased with increasing irradiation dose indicating enhanced lipid oxidation. Color parameter L^? decreased (p < 0.05) at doses > 3 kGy while color parameters a^? and b^? remained unaffected by irradiation. Sensory analysis showed that almonds remained organoleptically acceptable up to a dose of 3 kGy.Industrial Relevance: Irradiation is very efficient in controlling insects and growth of aflatogenic Aspergillus spp. in dry nuts.     

Lipid Oxidation, Volatiles and Color Changes of Irradiated Pork Patties Affected by Antioxidants

Changes were measured in TBARS, color, and volatiles of irradiated (4.5 kGy) pork patties with antioxidants (sesamol, quercetin, rutin, BHT, and rosemary oleoresin) during 7 days storage at 4°C. Irradiation accelerated lipid oxidation of raw pork during storage. However, irradiation before cooking did not influence lipid oxidation of cooked pork during storage. Sesamol, quercetin, and BHT were effective in both irradiated raw and cooked pork during 7-days storage. Rosemary oleoresin and rutin were effective only in irradiated raw pork for 3 days. Hexanal, propanal and higher boiling components were well correlated (P < 0.01) with TBARS in cooked pork. Generation of volatiles was reduced by sesamol and quercetin, but the effects of antioxidants on color changes of raw pork patties were minor and inconsistent.     

Optimization of radiation dose and quality parameters for development of ready-to-cook (RTC) pumpkin cubes using a statistical approach

Full factorial design was employed to study the effect of gamma irradiation (0–2.5 kGy) and storage (up to 28 d) at 10 °C on quality of RTC pumpkin. Data obtained from microbial, color, texture and sensory analysis were fitted into a cubic model. Resulting equations were solved to assess radiation dose and maximum storage period for acceptable microbial quality (< 10⁵ CFU g^− 1) and sensory scores (overall acceptability > 5). Radiation dose of 1 kGy resulted in a product with desired microbial and sensory quality up to storage period of 21 d. The processed product (1 kGy) had significantly (p < 0.05) higher total antioxidant and vitamin C content as compared to non-irradiated control after storage of 21 d. HPLC analysis demonstrated that there were no qualitative changes in phenolic and carotenoid constituents due to radiation processing. Thus radiation processing was successfully employed to develop RTC pumpkin with improved shelf-life.Industrial relevanceThe present study demonstrates the efficacy of the statistical approach of the experimental design for optimization of radiation dose and storage time for ready-to-cook (RTC) pumpkin cubes with acceptable microbial and sensory quality. Complex interactions among radiation dose, storage duration and quality attributes of RTC pumpkin were successfully mathematically modeled. The mathematical modeling can be useful for commercial production as the required processing conditions can be suitably obtained based on the desired quality characteristics of the final product.     

Moisture-mediated effects of γ-irradiation on antioxidant properties of mung bean (Vigna radiate L.) cultivars

The present investigation is the very first report about the effect of γ-irradiation along with moisture on antioxidant properties of mung bean. Mung bean cultivars were conditioned to moisture level of 10 (control), 12, and 14% and treated with different doses of γ-irradiation (1.0, 2.5, and 5.0 kGy). The total phenolic content (TPC) decreased upon very low (1 kGy) and low dose (2.5 kGy) of γ-irradiation while significantly increased upon further increase in dose (5 kGy) at 10% moisture. However, γ-irradiation (1 and 2.5 kGy) at 12% moisture increased the TPC by 8 and 9%, respectively, and at 5 kGy dose lowered by 15% as compared to control. Antioxidant activity (AOA) was decreased by 10% (1 kGy and 10% moisture) and increased by 13% (5 kGy and 10%) while significantly increased at all doses (at 12%) by 106%. Total flavonoids content and reducing power also affected significantly upon γ-irradiation at various moisture.Industrial relevanceThe present investigation is the first report revealing the impacts of moisture-mediated γ-irradiation of mung bean. Since γ-irradiation is a popular method for safe storage of food including legumes and cereals, the moisture content between 10 and 14% was considered safe for grain storage. But γ-irradiation of mung bean at these levels of moisture significantly changed the antioxidant potential. By selecting suitable moisture content and dose of γ-irradiation, the antioxidant potential of mung bean may be improved to get the maximum health benefit. Therefore, the legume processing industry can utilize these combinations (moisture and dose of irradiation) to improve the antioxidant properties of mung bean.     

Post-harvest treatment of cherry tomatoes by gamma radiation: Microbial and physicochemical parameters evaluation

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of gamma radiation on cherry tomatoes, to assess the potential of irradiation post-harvest treatment for fruit shelf-life extension. Freshly packed cherry tomatoes (Solanum lycopersicus var. cerasiforme) were irradiated at several gamma radiation doses (0.8 kGy up to 5.7 kGy) in a ⁶⁰Co chamber. Microbiological parameters, antioxidant activity and quality properties such as texture, color, pH, total soluble solids content, titratable acidity, and sensory parameters, were assessed before and after irradiation and during storage time up to 14 days at 4 °C. Inactivation studies of natural cherry tomatoes microbiota and inoculated potential foodborne pathogens (Salmonella enterica; Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus) were performed. A two log reduction on the microbial load of cherry tomatoes was verified after irradiation at 3.2 kGy, and 14 days of storage at 4 °C. Moreover, a maximum reduction of 11 log on the viability of potential foodborne bacteria was obtained after irradiation at 3.2 kGy on spiked fruits. Regarding fruits quality properties, irradiation caused a decrease in firmness compared with non-irradiated fruit, although it was verified a similar acceptability among fruits non-irradiated and irradiated at 3.2 kGy. Therefore, these results suggest that the irradiation treatment could be advantageous in improving microbial safety of cherry tomatoes and shelf-life extension without affecting significantly its quality attributes.Industrial relevanceThere is an ever-increasing global demand from consumers for high-quality foods with major emphasis placed on quality and safety attributes. One of the main demands that consumers display is for minimally processed, high-nutrition/low-energy natural foods with no or minimal chemical preservatives. Extending the shelf-life, while improving the food safety, will have a positive impact on both the industry and consumers (and potential target groups such as immunocompromised patients). The present study indicated that post-harvest gamma radiation treatment of cherry tomatoes can be used as an emergent, clean and environmental friendly process to extend the shelf-life of this fruit with safety and quality.     

The antioxidative properties of Holy basil and Galangal in cooked ground pork

The ethanolic extracts from Holy basil and Galangal were examined for their extraction yield, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity against a β-carotene-linoleic acid emulsion system, DPPH scavenging activity and reducing power. Ethanolic extracts of Holy basil exhibited higher extraction yield, total phenolic content, antioxidant activity, DPPH scavenging activity and reducing power than ethanolic extracts of Galangal. Antioxidative efficiency to inhibit lipid oxidation of dried Holy basil and dried Galangal powder, ethanolic extracts of Galangal and Holy basil and commercial antioxidant mixture in cooked ground pork was investigated during refrigerated storage at 5°C for 14 days. The quantitative measurements of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), conjugated diene, peroxide value (POV) and hexanal content were used as indicators of lipid oxidation. Increased levels of TBARS value, POV and hexanal content were noticed in all meat samples during storage, however most marked in cooked ground pork without antioxidants, whereas conjugated diene tended to decrease with increasing storage time. Ranking of the treatment in order of their antioxidant effectiveness showed that commercial antioxidant mixture (0.3% citric acid+0.5% ascorbic acid+0.02% α-tocopherol)>dried Galangal powder>dried Holy basil powder>ethanolic extracts of Galangal>ethanolic extracts of Holy basil>control. Furthermore, in cooked ground pork samples a high correlation between TBARS value and hexanal contents was obtained.     

Phenolic profile and antioxidant properties of a crude extract obtained from a brewery waste stream

The main aims of this study were to determine the phenolic profile of a crude extract obtained (at pilot scale) from a brewery waste stream and to evaluate the antioxidant activity of the extract. The total phenolic content was determined by the Folin–Ciocalteu assay, which revealed that 50% of the extract comprised phenolic compounds. The polyphenols, identified and quantified by RP-HPLC–DAD and HPLC-ESI–TOF-MS, were mainly flavonoids (catechin, epicatechin, gallocatechin, epigallocatechin, quercetin) and phenolic acids (ferulic acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, protocatechuic acid). The crude extract displayed a high DPPH radical scavenging activity (0.18 g/L), similar to that of BHA (0.248 g/L) and higher than that of BHT (2.54 g/L). All three tested products displayed a similar ability to decrease oxidative bleaching of β-carotene (antioxidant activity coefficient of 623.8 for the crude extract, 653.3 for BHA, 559.6 for BHT). This type of brewery waste stream may be a promising source of natural antioxidants to replace the synthetic antioxidants currently used in the food industry.     

Raman spectroscopic study of electron-beam irradiated cold-smoked salmon

Raman spectroscopy studies have been carried out to determine the effect of electron-beam irradiation on cold-smoked salmon. Vacuum packed samples were electron-beam irradiated at doses between 0 and 8 kGy. The irradiation at 8 kGy originated modifications on the protein secondary structure with a decrease (p < 0.05) in α-helix and the concomitant increase (p < 0.05) in β-sheet, turns and unordered content. Irradiation (?1 kGy) provokes a decrease of 1518 cm^?1 band intensity of cold-smoked salmon indicating that the treatment could produce a decrease of carotenoid content.     

PET trays coated with Citrus extract exhibit antioxidant activity with cooked turkey meat

A natural Citrus extract with potential antioxidant activity was evaluated as an ingredient for the production of active food packaging. The extract, in methanol, was sprayed onto the surface of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) trays. For comparison, a second set of trays were prepared using α-tocopherol as the coating. The effectiveness of the two types of packaging in delaying lipid oxidation in cooked turkey meat slices, stored at 4 °C over 4 days, was compared using 2-thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) and hexanal assays. TBARS and hexanal values, for meat stored on the Citrus extract coated trays, were significantly lower (P < 0.01) than those of meat stored on uncoated (control) trays while α-tocopherol coated trays exhibited no significant effect compared to control trays (P > 0.05). The effectiveness of the Citrus extract coating, compared to the α-tocopherol coating, was attributed to its higher surface roughness, demonstrated by optical profilometry, and the higher level of release (solubility) of the antioxidant in water.     

Radio-sensitivity of pathogens in inoculated prepared foods of animal origin

The effectiveness of irradiation for inactivating Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria ivanovii, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Escherichia coli in the prepared foods of animal origin was investigated. Commercially available seasoned and cooked beef, fried egg, and ham were purchased, radiation-sterilized, and inoculated at 10⁶–10⁷ CFU/g with each of the four pathogens and stored at three storage conditions at 10 °C, 20 °C, and 30 °C. D₁₀-values of S. aureus, L. ivanovii, Salmonella Typhimurium, and E. coli were 0.34±0.01, 0.24±0.02, 0.24±0.01, and 0.27±0.01 kGy, respectively. No viable cells were detected at 3 kGy of irradiation. Salmonella mutagenicity assay (Ames test) indicated that the 10 kGy irradiated samples were statistically similar to non-irradiated control samples in the Salmonella mutagenicity assay (Ames test). These studies demonstrate that irradiation can be used as an additional safety tool to produce microbiologically safe and wholesome prepared foods of animal origin.