Physicochemical Changes of Gamma-Irradiated Chicken

The effect of gamma irradiation on the physicochemical properties of chicken meat and its sensory quality were investigated during 41 days of storage at 3 to following irradiation of 5 to 10 kGy. Immediately after irradiation, the water holding capacity of chicken meat decreased slightly with the increase of irradiation dose, whereas during storage, the water holding capacity of irradiated groups was superior to that of the nonirradiated ones. With increasing the irradiation dose and storage time, the TBA values of irradiated groups were higher than those of nonirradiated ones. The volatile basic nitrogen content of nonirradiated group markedly increased over 20mg% by microbial spoilage from the 10th day of storage, however, the irradiated groups of over 8 kGy showed only the 16 to 18mg% until 41 days of storage. The irradiated groups had a slight irradiation-odour that dissipated during up to 3 days of storage, and also they showed a slight pink discoloration in the carcasses and this tendency was much more pronounced with increasing irradiation dose. The nonirradiated group gave off an off-odour due to the spoilage around 5 to 7 days of storage and showed a change in meat appearance, while the irradiated groups of over 5 kGy maintained a fresh state during the 25 to 30 days of storage.