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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » National Animal Disease Center » Food Safety and Enteric Pathogens Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #135776
Title: EFFECT OF DIETARY VITAMIN E AND IRRADIATION ON LIPID OXIDATION, COLOR, AND VOLATILES OF FRESH AND PREVIOUSLY FROZEN TURKEY BREAST PATTIES

Author
item NAM, K - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item MIN, B - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item YAN, H - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item LEE, E - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item MENDONCA, A - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item Wesley, Irene
item AHN, D - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY

Submitted to: Journal of Meat Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 9/3/2002
Publication Date: 9/20/2003
Citation: NAM, K.C., MIN, B.R., YAN, H., LEE, E.J., MENDONCA, A., WESLEY, I.V., AHN, D.U. EFFECT OF DIETARY VITAMIN E AND IRRADIATION ON LIPID OXIDATION, COLOR, AND VOLATILES OF FRESH AND PREVIOUSLY FROZEN TURKEY BREAST PATTIES. MEAT SCIENCE. 2003. V. 65. P. 513-521.

Interpretive Summary: In 1992, the USDA approved guidelines for use of irradiation of raw poultry to prevent human foodborne illness. Irradiation kills bacterial pathogens and spoilage microbes. However, irradiated poultry may have an off odor due to sulfur voltailes and aldehyes which develop during irradiation. In order to improve consumer acceptance we conducted a series of experiments to enhance the meat quality of irradiated turkey. Vitamin E prolongs shelf life of meat by preserving meat color or redness. We fed turkeys vitamin E and then determined the effects that this had on prolonging the meat quality (odor and color) after irradiation. We showed that dietary vitamin E reduced the accumulation of off-odors and maintained redness of turkey meat. This suggests that vitamin E may improve consumer acceptance of retail turkey products. Scientists, the extension service, poultry and turkey producers, turkey industry, and the Food Safety and Inspection Service would benefit from this information.

Technical Abstract: Turkey breast meat patties, prepared from the turkeys fed diets containing 0, 50, 100, or 200 IU of dl-alpha-tocopheryl acetate (TA) per kg diet from 84 to 112 days of age, were aerobically packaged and irradiated at 0, 1.5, or 2.5 kGy. When dietary TA was increased from 0 to 200 IU/kg diet, plasma and muscle vitamin E levels increased by 5- and 4-fold, respectively. Dietary TA at 100 IU/kg diet significantly improved the storage stability of turkey breast and it was more distinct in irradiated than nonirradiated meats. Both irradiation and dietary TA increased a*-values of turkey breast meat, but irradiation had a stronger impact. The redness of meat decreased during the 7-d storage, but irradiated meat maintained redder color than nonirradiated. Irradiated meat produced more sulfur-volatiles and aldehydes than nonirradiated meats, and dietary TA effectively reduced these compounds during storage. The effects of dietary TA on the reduction of off-odor volatiles were more distinct in previously frozen-stored meats than fresh ones.