CHEMICAL QUALITY, SENSORY ATTRIBUTES AND ULTRASTRUCTURAL CHANGES OF GAMMA-IRRADIATED CAMEL MEAT

ABSTRACT

This study was set out to determine the chemical quality, sensory attributes and ultrastructural changes of irradiated camel meat. Aerobically-packaged fresh camel meat samples (Biceps femoris muscles) were subjected to gamma irradiation at doses of 0 (control), 1.5 and 3.0 kGy and stored at 4 ± 1C for 15 days. Irradiation had no significant effects (P > 0.05) on proximate composition, total volatile nitrogen (TVN) and cooking loss but significantly (P < 0.05) increased lipid oxidation in terms of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS). Also, refrigerated storage significantly (P < 0.05) increased TVN, cooking loss and TBARS of non-irradiated and irradiated samples. This study showed that irradiation had no significant effects (P > 0.05) on the sensory attributes of raw and cooked camel meat. The irradiated samples were more acceptable during storage. At ultrastructural observation, transmission electron micrographs showed structural changes of myofibrils in irradiated samples when compared with non-irradiated ones. Moreover, the mean size of sarcomere length of irradiated samples was significantly (P < 0.05) shorter than that of non-irradiated camel meat.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

Meat is a rich nutrient matrix that provides suitable media for growth and proliferation of common spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms. The shelf-life of fresh meat under chilled states is limited to a few days. The freezing techniques have the advantage of providing prolonged shelf-life but are expensive and inadequate and also have adverse effects on the texture of the product, which reduce the consumer acceptability. Thus, the need is evident for new and more efficient preservation technologies for prolongation of shelf-life with minimum adverse effects on the general acceptability of the product. As a practical and efficient method, irradiation technique can extend the shelf-life and improve the safety of meat. In this research, detailed effects of gamma irradiation on the chemical, structural and sensory characteristics of fresh camel meat is investigated in order to enhance its storage life with high consumer acceptability in commercial scales.