DETECTION OF IRRADIATED CHICKEN BY ESR SPECTROSCOPY OF BONE

Ionizing radiation has been used to treat poultry to remove harmful mi croorganisms, mainly Salmonella, which contaminates chicken, goose and other fresh and frozen poultry. This microorganism is sensitive to lo w dose radiation. Thus, irradiating these foods with doses between 1 t o 7 kGy results in a large reduction of bacteria. Since it is necessar y to determine whether irradiation has occurred and to what extend, th is work studied the signal produced by ionizing radiation within the h ard crystalline matrix of chicken's bone to establish a control method . Chicken's drumsticks were irradiated and bones separated from flesh were lyophilized and milled. ESR spectrum was then obtained. The ESR s ignal increased linearly with dose over the range 0.25 to 8.0 kGy. Fre e radicals evaluated during 30 days after irradiation showed stable in this period.