Combined effect of ascorbic acid and gamma irradiation on microbial and sensorial characteristics of beef patties during refrigerated storage

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of ascorbic acid co ncentrations (0.03 to 0.5%) and irradiation doses (0.5 to 4 kGy) on microbi al growth, color coordinates (L*, a*, and b*), and sensory characteristics (taste and odor) of beef patties during storage at 4 +/- 1 degreesC. Ascorb ic acid was also compared to citric acid at a similar pH value in order to differentiate the effects of ascorbic acid from those of pH reduction. Resu lts showed significant reduction (p less than or equal to 0.05) of aerobic plate counts (APCs) and total coliforms, and a significant interaction (p l ess than or equal to 0.05) between ascorbic acid and irradiation dose was o bserved. The irradiation treatment had detrimental effects on redness, yell owness, and hue angle values of meat. However, incorporation of ascorbic ac id into the meat before irradiation resulted in significant (p I 0.05) stab ilization of color parameters. The color improvement obtained with ascorbic acid was not related to the pH reduction. Also, no significant detrimental effect on taste or odor was found in irradiated samples containing ascorbi c acid.