Characterization of freeze-dried egg melange long stored after irradiation

During the 4-year period of storage at room temperature of the freeze-dried (control group) and the freeze-dried and gamma-irradiated (2.0 and 3.5 kGy) whole hen's egg mélange, no significant changes were found into the sensory and functional characteristics till the 28th month. The change in the number of SH groups was not unidirectional up to the 28th month and then it started to decrease in all investigated samples. During the entire period of investigation the amount of malondialdehyde in all three groups of egg mélange was considerably below the allowed limit for foodstuffs. The most significant fractions of the protein spectra showed a general tendency of decrease during the storage.