ENHANCING QUALITY AND EXTENDING SHELF LIFE: THE ROLE OF Ɣ-IRRADIATED BLACK PEPPER (PIPER NIGRUM) IN MORTADELLA PRESERVATION DURING COLD STORAGE

The aim of this study was to assess the impact of incorporating Ɣ-irradiated black pepper (Piper nigrum) at the maximum approved radiation dose of 10 kGy on the quality characteristics and shelf-life of sliced mortadella bologna-type sausage (IBP) stored at 4 ± 2 °C for 21 days in vacuum packaging. The sterility of the black pepper grains was confirmed using the standard microbiological agar plate method, revealing < 0.01 log cfu/g microbial activity, a state maintained after the pepper's addition at 1.5% of the total sausage mass. This led to an extended lag phase in microbial growth within the IBP samples during storage, positively influencing various sensory and biochemical parameters. Statistically significant improvements (p ≤ 0.05) in hardness and color intensity were observed by the 14th day, enhancing overall appearance and resulting in lower TVB-N values due to decreased microbial activity. These findings suggest that Ɣ-irradiated black pepper can enhance the quality and extend the shelf-life of mortadella bologna-type sausages during cold storage in normal atmosphere packaging.