COMBINED EFFECT OF GAMMA-IRRADIATION AND CONVENTIONAL COOKING ON AEROMONAS-HYDROPHILA IN MEATBALL

Irradiation combined with a conventional cooking procedure was applied to meatball and the effects on bacterial load and inoculated Aeromona s hydrophila were determined, Meatball samples were irradiated by usin g a Co-60 source at the dose levels of 0, 0.30, 0.75, 1.50, 2.50 kGy a nd cold stored at 4 +/- 1 degrees C for 7 days, Bacterial load and the count of A. hydrophila decreased when the irradiation dose level incr eased. A minimum inhibition effect was found at the dose of 0.30 kGy, Irradiation in combination with a conventional cooking procedure was f ound to be more effective in reducing A. hydrophila and the bacterial load in meatball. This study indicated that a dose of 0.75 kGy was suf ficient to destroy approximately l0(4) cfu/g of A. hydrophila in meatb all.