Sensory Evaluation of Chicken Breast Under Gamma Irradiation at Commercial Doses

摘要

The great commercial and nutritional relevance of chicken meat makes use of new conservation techniques and the possibility of an extension in its shelf life necessary. This is possible through the destruction of microorganisms by irradiation. The objective of this project was to compare the sensory aspects of nonirradiated chicken (control) and chicken irradiated with Co~(60) at 2-, 4-, 6-, and 8-kGy doses, both fresh and frozen at 18 °C for 90 d. Eight panelists were selected and trained for the descriptive analysis of 8 attributes of appearance (Color, Brightness, Humidity, Shredded, Appetizing, Fresh, Dark spots, and Characteristic), 4 attributes of aroma (Characteristic, Strange, Intensity, and Oily), 7 attributes of flavor (Typical, Bitter, Salty, Metallic, Intensity, Smoked, and Strange), and 6 attributes of texture (Tenderness, Fibrosity, Uniformity, Elasticity, Juiciness, and Humidity) was carried out. The results were statistically analyzed (Tukey 5%). The fresh meat presented differences as to its appearance, flavor, and texture, and the frozen-stored one, as to its appearance, aroma, and flavor. We can conclude that the irradiation treatment promoted alterations in the sensory quality of the chicken breast with the doses used in this study, the 8-kGy dose being the one that differed the most from the control. The alterations were positive in some cases, especially when after-frozen meat was considered.