Effect of Radurization on the pH, Free Water, Meat Swelling, and Volatile Organic Compound Concentrations of Stored Chicken Meat.

摘要

The purpose of these experiments was to investigate rapid objective methods for determining shelf life of radurized chicken. They included pH, free water, meat swelling, and chemical analysis of volatile compounds. Fresh eviscerated broiler chickens were low dose, gamma-irradiated (2.5 kGy and 5.0 kGy) and stored at 1.6 degrees C for up to 31 days. Samples were withdrawn at intervals for testing. The results suggest that radurized chicken could be differentiated from nonirradiated chicken by determining pH, free water or meat swelling; these methods will not however define the time when enzymatic degradation noticeably occurs. Volatile organic compound concentrations correlate with the observation of chicken meat deterioration but the test methods are complex.