Gamma irradiation and cold storage effects on total microbes and tensile strength of kway teow

Kway teow is categorized as high moisture food which is reflected by its short shelf-life. This condition has triggered many producers to add formalin into kway teow which is prohibited by law. Gamma irradiation is a method to prolong shelf life that is inexpensive and does not significantly alter the texture of the product, make it suitable to be applied to kway teow. The experiment was conducted by irradiating the sample with 0, 2, and 4 kGy dosages using 1 kGy/h dose rate combined with low temperature storage. The parameters measured are total plate count, total coliform, Salmonella spp., D₁₀ value and antibiotic sensitivity of E. coli, and tensile strength. Results showed that combination of gamma irradiation and cold storage successfully reduced up to 6,2 log CFU/g of aerobic bacteria and 5,8 log CFU/g of coliform bacteria at a dose of 4 kGy and managed to reduce up to 4,9 log CFU/g aerobic bacteria and 4,6 log CFU/g coliform bacteria at a dose of 2 kGy. E. coli bacteria isolated from kway teow have a D₁₀ value of 0.403 kGy that sensitive to amoxicillin and tetracycline and had an intermediate sensitivity to cefoxitine. Irradiation at a dose of 2 kGy increased tensile strength of kway teow. There is no Salmonella spp. detected in sample E and all samples did contain formalin. (author)