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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 #126472
Title: QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF IRRADIATED READY-TO-EAT BREAST ROLLS FROM TURKEYS FED CONJUGATED LINOLEIC ACID

Author
item DU, M - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item AHN, D - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item MENDONCA, A - IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY
item WESLEY, IRENE

Submitted to: Poultry Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/10/2002
Publication Date: 9/20/2002
Citation: DU, M., AHN, D.U., MENDONCA, A.F., WESLEY, I.V. QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF IRRADIATED READY-TO-EAT BREAST ROLLS FROM TURKEYS FED CONJUGATED LINOLEIC ACID. POULTRY SCIENCE. 2002. V. 81. P. 1378-1384.

Interpretive Summary: The 1999 multistate outbreak of human foodborne illness was caused by eating ready-to-eat (RTE) delicatessen items, including turkey, which were contaminated with L. monocytogenes. The outbreak resulted in 25 cases and 11 deaths in 16 states. In addition, during 1999, six of the 12 product recalls were due to L. monocytogenes contamination in delicatessen meats. Therefore, there is a need for bactericidal interventions, such as irradiation to eliminate L. moncoytogenes in RTE meats without negatively affecting their sensory characteristics. Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and irradiation independently prolong the shelf life of meats. The goal of this study was to combine the beneficial effects of irradiation and CLA. We evaluated the sensory quality of irradiated turkey rolls made from birds fed CLA. Sensory panels preferred the color of irradiated versus nonirradiated RTE turkey rolls, but did not like the off-flavor resulting from sulfur compounds. CLA and irradiation did not influence the texture and juiciness of RTE turkey. This information will be useful to the poultry industry in selecting pathogen reduction strategies which will win consumer acceptance.

Technical Abstract: The objective of this study was to determine the effect or irradiation on the quality of ready-to-eat (RTE) breast rolls made from turkeys fed conjugated linoleic acid (CLA). The oxidative stability of RTE turkey rolls was improved by the dietary CLA treatment. Irradiation increased the production of acetaldehyde, 3- methyl-butanal, 2-methyl-butanal, and total volatiles in turkey rolls, but had little effect on other aldehydes. Irradiation also produced new volatiles, including sulfur compounds, not detected in nonirradiated turkey breast rolls. Significantly higher amounts of alkanes with 9 or higher carbons were detected in irradiated versus nonirradiated samples. Irradiation increased the redness of RTE turkey breast rolls, but the degree of redness and the amount of total volatiles decreased with storage. CLA treatment lowered the redness while increasing the lightness of RTE turkey breast rolls during storage. Sensory evaluation revealed that irradiation produced off-flavor, but both CLA and irradiation did not influence the texture and juiciness of RTE turkey. Consumers preferred the color induced by irradiation to nonirradiated RTE turkey rolls, but did not like the off-flavor.