engleski

Reduction of ochratoxin A in meat products using gamma irradiation

Ochratoxin A (OTA) is a mycotoxin which contaminate a variety of foodstuffs worldwide and may be present in meat and offal of farm animals or in the products of animal origin made of contaminated raw materials. In process of food preservation, gamma (γ) irradiation shown to be an effective technique of decontamination as destroy pathogenic and spoilage microorganisms as well as reduces some toxins such as mycotoxins. The aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of gamma irradiation on OTA reduction in meat products (n=24) using three types of homemade fermented sausages and cured meat products (ham and ribs) as frequently consumed meat product in Croatia. Final meat products produced from contaminated raw materials of muscle/adipose tissue were irradiated using gamma rays at doses of 7 and 10 kGy as doses applicable in food industry. Concentrations of OTA in pre- and post-processed products were quantified using a validated immunoassay (ELISA) method and expressed on the product dry matter. Before irradiation determined OTA concentrations were in range from 6.33 to 33.33 μg/kg. Following the 7 kGy-irradiation, the overall mean OTA reduction equalled to 14.1%, while the irradiation with a 10 kGy-dose achieved the overall mean toxin reduction of 23.7%, and maximall reached of 34.7%. The obtained results indicate that γ irradiation could reduce the OTA levels in meat product intended for human consumption, thus minimizing the human exposure to this carcinogenic mycotoxin, but also that due to the achieved reduction applied decontamination method is of limited value.

gamma irradiation; meat products; ochratoxin A; reduction

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