Objective tests for frankfurter textural properties were investigated by varying formulations and processing parameters and then correlating nine sensory textural attributes with eleven instrumental methods. The most discriminative instrumental parameters were compressive force at failure, compressive force at 50% deformation without failure, and maximum shear force. High correlations (r > 0.80) were found between compressive forces or shear force and sensory elasticity, firmness, and chewiness; stress relaxation and elasticity; total expressible fluid and juiciness; and expressible moisture and wateriness. Elastic recovery did not correlate with any sensory characteristic.

Seven strains of Listeria monocytogenes were irradiated in culture media or in mechanically deboned chicken meat. The survivor plots were quadratic curves when cultures were in the log phase of growth or when they were irradiated in chicken meat; cultures in the senescent phase of growth showed linear responses to irradiation. Cultures from cells surviving an irradiation dose of 1.5 kGy were no more radiation resistant that those which had had no previous exposure to irradiation. Cultures centrifuged and resuspended in water were more sensitive to radiation than those resuspended in solutions containing organic materials. These studies indicated that a dose of 2 kGy was sufficient to destroy 1 × 104 cells of L. monocytogenes.

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Vacuum-packaged ground fresh pork samples absorbed gamma radiation doses of 0. 0.57. 1.91. 3.76. 5.52. or 7.25 kGv at 2°C. Samolcs were analyzed'after i, 7, i4, 2i, 28, 'or 35 days itorage at 2"C'for presence and number of aerobic and anaerobic mesophiles and endospore formers, and aerobic psychrotrophs. Conventional plate counts did not detect surviving microflora in any sample that received an absorbed dose of 1.91 kGy or higher, even after refrigerated storage for up to 35 days. The microflora in the control were predominantly Gram-positive for the first 21 days; however, Serrutiu predominated at 28 and 35 days. Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, and yeast species predominated in samples that received 0.57 kGy.