The use of ESR spectroscopy for the detection of irradiated mechanically recovered meat (MRM) in tertiary food products

The use of electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy as a detection method for irradiated food has been well documented in recent years, the research dealing mainly with primary products such as chicken, shellfish and fruit. An example of how the technique can be applied to processed food products was demonstrated when ESR spectroscopy was used to differentiate between samples of commercially irradiated and non-irradiated mechanically recovered turkey meat (MRM). The latter refers to meat which has been mechanically removed under high pressure from irregularly shaped bones subjected to hand-boning operations. The paste-like product contains small fragments of bone which can be extracted and used for the purposes of ESR spectroscopy provided a sufficient quantity is recovered. On a commercial scale MRM can be incorporated into other food, such as beef burgers, to produce a tertiary product. The aim of this experimental work, carried out simultaneously in Belfast and Strasbourg, was to compare two methods for extracting bone fragments from such tertiary products containing MRM at varying inclusion rates and to determine if ESR spectroscopy could be used to qualitatively detect the presence of small amounts of irradiated MRM. In addition, a number of coded foods containing either non-irradiated MRM were examined in order to establish the feasibility of applying the method to samples, the processing history of which was unknown. (author)