Decimal reduction dose (D10) and optimal dose determination to eliminate salmonella typhimurium in chicken hamburgers through 60Co gamma radiation

Under aerobic conditions and at room temperature, decimal reduction dose (D10) of S. typhimurium in casoy broth (TSB) was determined through irradiation, inoculating 9,78 log ufc/mL of a strain during 24±2 hours and obtaining a D10 of 0,425 kGy. Next, the D10 value of S. typhimurium inoculated in chicken hamburger with a 9,3 log ufc/g concentration was determined under the same conditions of the previous case, obtaining a D10 of 0,547 kGy, 22,3% higher than the first value. Then, hamburgers were irradiated at 2, 4 and 6 kGy and kept under storage for 57 days at 2±2 oC. During evaluations, it was observed that there is a synergic effect between the irradiation dose and the time of storage (α=5%) for S. typhimurium inoculated in hamburgers. Besides, in the case of the non-irradiated samples, the number of total coliforms increased from 29 to 4250 NMP/g in day 22, while fecal coliforms increased from 4 to 240 NMP/g during the same period, dropping at the end of storage. In the case of irradiated samples, no coliforms were found (<3 NMP/g). Mesofilic and psicrotrofic bacteria diminished their ability to form colonies proportionally to the applied irradiation doses. Nevertheless, as storage time goes by, these bacteria recover the ability to grow up and cause deterioration. Peroxide rate values of irradiated samples were 100% higher than those of the non-irradiated samples. However, there was no significant difference between samples treated at 2,4 and 6 kGy. Finally, useful life of hamburgers was determined through sensorial evaluation of characteristics such as color, external appearance and smell of raw hamburgers, and taste, smell and texture of fried hamburgers. The results obtained were 13, 19, 41 and 34 days for non-irradiated samples, at 2, 4, and 6 kGy respectively