SENSORY EVALUATION OF IRRADIATED BEEF AND BACON

Vacuum-packed beef and bacon were treated with gamma- radiation (1–10 KGy) from CO⁶⁰ and stored for 3 months at + 4°C. The samples were evaluated by a trained sensory laboratory panel, directly after irradiation, and after 3 months. Samples given 1.0 KGy and higher doses were found to be significant different from nonirradiated samples at both times of testing. A higher intensity of off-taste, rancidity, metallic taste and sweetness, and a lower intensity of juiciness and color saturation were found in all the irradiated samples. Off-taste and rancidity were found to increase with increasing doses, and were best explained when analyzed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA).