Quality evaluation of sliced and pizza cheeses treated by gamma and electron beam irradiation

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate and compare the quality changes of commercial sliced and pizza cheeses processed by gamma and electron beam irradiation. The L*-value of sliced and pizza cheeses decreased and the a*-value decreased only in pizza cheese by both irradiation sources. There was no change in pH. There was no difference in 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value between non-irradiated and irradiated samples at a dose of 3 kGy or less (p<0.05). However, both irradiation sources resulted in increased TBARS value in sliced and pizza cheeses at 5 kGy. Sensory evaluation revealed that irradiation influenced odor, taste and overall acceptability of both cheeses and may cause the limitation of consumers' acceptance for irradiated cheese products. Results indicate that both gamma and electron beam irradiations with less than 3 kGy may not influence significantly the physicochemical quality of sliced and pizza cheeses. However, to meet a market requirement, a method to overcome the sensory deterioration of cheeses should be developed and applied.