Effect of irradiation on the parameters that influence quality characteristics of raw beef round eye

The objective of this study was to elucidate the relationships among lipid/protein oxidation, color changes, off-taste and off-odor in irradiated raw beef round eye. Raw beef round eye was prepared and irradiated at 0, 1.5, 3.0 and 4.5 kGy using a linear accelerator. Significant increases in lipid oxidation and protein oxidation were found in irradiated raw beef round eye, while significant decreases were observed in the color values (L*-, a*-, and b*-value). The degradation of nucleotides can contribute to the taste changes (increase in sourness and decrease in umami taste) in the irradiated raw beef round eye, which was further confirmed by the electronic tongue data. The sulfur volatiles (e.g.: dimethyl disulfide) from the sulfur-containing amino acids increased significantly after irradiation, indicating these are closely related to the off-odor of irradiated beef round eye.