Effects of electron beam irradiation on the microbial growth and quality of beef jerky during storage

Electron beam irradiation was applied to improve the microbial safety of beef jerky during storage. Beef jerky samples were irradiated at doses of 1, 3, 5, and 10 kGy and stored at 20 °C for 60 d. Microbiological data indicated that the populations of total aerobic bacteria significantly decreased with increasing irradiation dosage. In particular, the populations of total aerobic bacteria were significantly decreased by 1.76 log CFU/g at 10 kJ/m2, compared to the control. Color measurements showed reduced Hunter L and a values of beef jerky for all the treatments during storage, and the Hunter L, a, and b values of beef jerky were not significantly different among the treatments. Sensory evaluation results also showed that electron beam irradiation did not affect sensory scores in overall during storage. Therefore, the results suggest that electron beam irradiation could be useful in improving the microbial safety without impairing the quality of beef jerky during storage.