Changes in physicochemical and sensory characteristics of vacuum-packaged chilled pork irradiated at low-dose gamma ray

The effects of chilled pork treated with or without preservative solution, irradiation dose (0,0.5,1.0 and 2.0 kGy) on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of vacuum-packaged chilled pork stored at (3±1)℃ for 21 days were studied, in order to determine the best method of irradiation to extend shelf life of chilled pork. The results show: the values of TVB-N, TBARS and drop loss of vacuum-packaged chilled pork treated with preservative solutions and 2.0 kGy irradiation were 20.17 mg·(100 g)^-1, 0.347 mg·kg^-1 and 9.69%, respectively and that of the same condition but untreated with preservative solutions were 17.43 mg·(100 g)^-1, 0.237 mg·kg^-1 and 9.18%, respectively. The color of chilled pork in our experiment was changed redder as the X-ray dose increased, and it became the bright red when the X-ray was 2 kGy. This chilled pork color is stable in the storage-life, but its TBA value is higher than that of the compared group(α<0.05), still far smaller than critical value of 1.0 mg·kg^-1 spoilage of oxidized fat. The best method that can extremely extend shelf life of chilled pork is that the samples are treated with preservation solution, vacuum-package, 2.0 kGy irradiation and refrigeration.