Decontamination of salmonella from the coastal fish meals by 60Co γ ray irradiation

The decontamination fo salmonellae from fish meal samples by irradiation which 60Co γ ray was examined. Sixteen strains of Salmonella were used. A composite fish meal sample was prepared by mixing with different coastal meals, and after radiation sterilization at a dose of 20 kGy 60Co γ ray, which was employed as the salmonella-free meal sample. D10 values of test strains determined in buffered saline were found to range from 0.08 to 0.36 kGy, and inactivation factors at a dose of 1 kGy ranged from 102.8 to 1013. D10 values of test strains determined in the salmonella-free meal sample ranged from 0.59 to 1.64 kGy, and the inactivation factors at a dose of 10 kGy were found to range from 106.1 to 1017. Interestingly the D10 values of salmonellae determined in fish meal samples were 10 times as much compared with those determined in buffered saline. From the commercial aspects of coastal fish meal production, destruction of salmonellae in fish meals by 60Co γ ray irradiation was found to be much more practical than other methods such as dry heating and ethylene oxide fumigation. (author)