Differential Microbial Responses to Gamma Irradiation in High- and Low-Moisture Food Systems

Gamma-irradiation could be defined as an effective technique for microbial decontamination and shelf-life extension of multiple food products. The paper outlines the microbiological effects of gamma irradiation on an extensively broad divide of food items, namely perishable plant-based goods (strawberries) and antioxidant-rich spices (black pepper). Taking into consideration experimental data, we study the effects of irradiation on microbial load in terms of aerobic bacteria count, Gram-negative bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, molds, and yeasts. Another aspect served by us is the application of microbial methods such as Direct Epifluorescent Filter Technique/Plate Count (DEFT/APC) ratios. By comparing two fundamentally different food matrices-low moisture spices and high moisture fruits-fresh insight is given into the food-type-and-storage-condition-dependent variation of gamma irradiation efficacy. The results show drastic changes in microbial flora after irradiation, with almost complete collapse of surviving microbial populations in both categories. The results demonstrate the efficiency of gamma irradiation as a decontamination method and validate the use of microbial indicators for assessing post-treatment food quality.