Chemical Changes and Quality of Gamma-Irradiated Valencia Oranges during Storage

Irradiation as a physical method for preservation of food has proved its efficacy over other common means, however, its effect on the quality and bioactive compounds of food is still under investigation. This work is conducted to investigate the effect of different gamma radiation doses (0, 0.5, 1, 2, 3 KGy) on quality and chemical changes of O linda Valencia orange fruits. Fruits were irradiated with different gamma rays then evaluated during storage up to 6 weeks. Data revealed that gamma radiation alone or in combination with storage decreased ascorbic acid content and acidity. On the other hand, firmness, TSS, TSS/acid ratio, total and reduced sugars have increased. Finally, O linda Valencia orange fruits irradiated with gamma doses up to 3 KGy can be safely preserved up to 6 weeks