Decontamination of spices by gamma radiation |
| |
| Authors: | MK Alam N Choudhury NA Chowdhury QM Youssouf |
| |
| Institution: | Institute of Food and Radiation Biology, Atomic Energy Research Establishment, G.P.O. Box 3787, Dhaka, Bangladesh |
| |
| Abstract: | Spices such as coriander, cumin, turmeric, chilli collected from a local market were found to be highly contaminated with bacteria and fungi. A dose of 10 kGy was required to reduce the total bacterial count below detectable levels, while a dose of only 5 kGy was required to eliminate the fungal contamination. Coliforms were totally eliminated at a radiation dose of 5 kGy. During a 6 months storage of irradiated and unirradiated spices, the irradiated spices were found to retain good microbiological quality. |
| |
| Keywords: | |
|
|
