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International Journal of Recent Trends in Science and Technology, ISSN 2277-2812 E-ISSN: 2249-8109

Volume 9, Issue 1, November 2013 pp 57-61

Research Article

Effect of Medium-dose Gamma Irradiation on Microbial Quality of Cut-cabbage (Brassica oleracea): A case study in Greater Accra Region of Ghana

 

G. K. Frimpong1, V. Appiah2, J. Nketsia-Tabiri1, W.Torgby-Tetteh1

1Radiation Technology Centre, Biotechnology and Nuclear Agriculture Research Institute, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Accra, GHANA.

2Department of Nuclear Agriculture and Radiation Processing, Graduate School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of GHANA.

 

Academic Editor : Dr. Aher K.R.

Abstract

 

Consumption of fresh and fresh-cut fruits and vegetables has increased every year in the past decade because of their convenience and nutritional benefits. Unfortunately, the increasing consumption of fresh produce has been accompanied by an increase in the number of outbreaks and recalls due to contamination with human pathogens. Irradiation of this kind of ready-to-eat product is a feasible alternative treatment to be considered in order to improve the microbiological quality and to extend the shelf life. The objective of this study was to explore the effect of medium-dose gamma irradiation on the microbial quality of cut-cabbage. Cut-cabbage was irradiated and its microbial quality determined. The initial total viable count (TVC) for unirradiated or control cut cabbage samples was 9.11 log10 cfu/g and that of irradiated samples (1-3kGy) at 0 day ranged from 7.39 to 8.95 log10 cfu/g. However, total coliform count for cut-cabbage irradiated at 2kGy was not significantly different from the rest of irradiated samples.  The effective irradiation dose of 2kGy was able to reduce the bioburden of by up to 4 log cycles in fresh pre-cut cabbage.