Effect of Gamma Irradiation and Electron Beam Irradiation on the Quality of Vacuum-Packed Ready-to-Eat Chicken Claws during Storage at 25 ± 1 °C

To address the challenges of microbial vulnerability and limited storage in ready-to-eat chicken claws during storage, this study compared the effects of gamma irradiation (FZ) and electron-beam irradiation (DZ) on vacuum-packaged ready-to-eat chicken claws stored at 25 ± 1 °C for 21 days by evaluating physicochemical properties, sensory attributes, bacterial communities, and their correlations. Results indicated that DZ was superior in preserving claw quality, evidenced by reduced microbiota levels, lower carbonyl and nitrite contents, and delayed total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) accumulation. Additionally, high-throughput sequencing analysis revealed that Levilactobacillus, Companilactobacillus, and Hafnia-Obesumbacteria were positively correlated with TVB-N, TBARS, and carbonyl. Notably, FZ and DZ significantly reduced the abundance of these above-mentioned spoilage microorganisms, especially the DZ sample at 12 kGy presented the best sensory score. These findings suggested DZ could be more effective in enhancing the shelf life of ready-to-eat chicken claws.