Simultaneous Application of Electron Beam Irradiation and Freezing as an Effective Method for Shelf Life Extension of Minced Turkey Meat

In this study, minced turkey meat samples were subjected to electron-beam irradiation with dosages of 0, 1.5, 3, and 5 kGy, and then microbial (mesophilic and psychrotrophic bacteria), physiochemical (pH, water activity [a_w], thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS], and peroxide value [PV]), and sensory (color, odor, texture, and overall acceptability) analyses were performed at 0 and 6 months of freezing storage (-18°C). Results showed that by 5 kGy irradiation and freezing treatments, the counts of psychrotrophic and mesophilic bacteria reduced remarkably (<i>p</i> < 0.05) and reached from 4.44 to 2.05 and from 4.9 to 2.00 log cfu/g, respectively. pH and a_w of samples did not change notably after treatment and 6 months of freezing storage, the pH and a_w of the minced turkey meat were 5.74 and 0.95 for 5 kGy irradiated samples, respectively. Despite the increase of TBARS and PV values, electron-beam irradiation at 1.5 and 3 kGy had no notable impact on the sensory characteristics of minced turkey meat. The obtained findings revealed that the simultaneous use of irradiation and freezing is a promising method for the increase of shelf life and preservation of minced turkey meat quality.