Variation of bacterial load and fatty acids of gamma irradiated yellowfin tuna (thunnus albacares)

The interest on food quality has contributed to guide consumers' choice toward fishery products which are considered to be of high nutritional value and capable of influencing human health in a positive way. In recent years, consumers are eating more raw fish products such as sushi, sashimi and surimi. However, raw fish products contain many food borne pathogenic microorganisms. Fresh tuna fillets are highly perishable products. It is one of the highly demanding export products in Sri Lanka. However, quality deterioration during processing causes limited shelf-life and economic loss. Therefore it is a requirement to develop new technologies and efficient preservation methods which lead shelf-life extension of the product. Food irradiation is considered as a 'technological saviour' in finding suitable solution for the problems caused by pathogens in food. Therefore, introduction of irradiated foods would become an important attribute to public health and it can be regarded as a useful tool to attain food security in the 21st century. It is considered to be an alternative method for food preservation, in order to prevent food spoilage, insect infestation and also reduce the microbial load. The aim of the present study was therefore to evaluate the effect of gamma irradiation on microbial and chemical quality of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares) fish fillets. (author)