Low‐Dose Irradiation Improves Microbial Quality and Shelf Life of Fresh Mint (Mentha piperita L.) without Compromising Visual Quality

Abstract

Mints and other raw fresh herbs are widely used for flavoring as well as garnish in a variety of dishes without further cooking. However, mint is one considered as one of the high-risk herbs when it comes to microbial contamination. We have evaluated the use of gamma irradiation treatment at very low doses ranging from 0 to 2 kGy to eliminate seeded Salmonella spp, E. coli O157:H7, and MS2 bacteriophage, a surrogate of hepatitis A virus. We found that low-dose irradiation (1.0 to 2.0 kGy) appears to be a promising method for improving the microbiological quality of fresh mint without compromising its visual and color attributes. This method may be applied to many popular fresh culinary herbs that are commonly used as garnishes in Asian cuisine.

Effect of Gamma Radiation on the Reduction of Salmonella strains, Listeria monocytogenes, and Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli and Sensory Evaluation of Minimally Processed Spinach (Tetragonia expansa)

“…The Z)10-values determined in this study ranged from 0.19 to 0.20 kGy for Salmonella strains and from 0.20 to 0.21 kGy for L. monocytogenes; for STEC, this value was 0.17 kGy. Figure 3 shows D |0-values (0.17 kGy) for STEC that are similar to those obtained by Hsu et al (15) in irradiated mint (0.17 kGy). However, Niemira et al (25), working with several varieties of lettuce (iceberg, red lettuce, green leaf, and Boston), found values that ranged from 0.12 to 0.14 kGy.…”

Electron-beam irradiation as an alternative to preserve nutritional, chemical and antioxidant properties of dried plants during extended storage periods

“…In fact, in 62.5% of the cases (40 out of 64) the percentage variation in comparison to the corresponding control laid below 5%, indicating and apparent stability of the nutritional (except fat and ash) and colour parameters (except a*), which might be considered as an indicator of the suitability of EB as a conservation methodology for these plants. The maintenance of L* and b*, in particular, in association with the decrease in a* (which indicate "greener" samples) is a positive result, considering that colour parameters represent a good measure of adequate post-harvest preservation processes (Hsu, Simonne, Jitareerat, & Marshall, 2010;Jo, Son, Shin, & Byun, 2003).…”

Effect of Irradiation on Salmonella Survival and Quality of 2 Varieties of Whole Green Onions

“…Ionizing radiation is highly effective against most foodborne bacterial pathogens including Salmonella , Escherichia coli O157:H7, and Listeria monocytogenes , and 3 to 5 log reductions in pathogen counts can be achieved without significantly affecting sensory, texture, color, and aroma qualities of fresh produce (Prakash and others 2000a, b; Fan and others 2003a; Foley and others 2002, 2004). Effective Salmonella reduction by irradiation has been shown for lettuce, whole roma tomatoes, cilantro, and mint (Niemira 2003; Goularte and others 2004; Mahmoud 2010; Villagomez and others 2010; Hsu and others 2010). Ionizing radiation is not only effective against pathogens but also reduces spoilage organisms present on fresh produce thereby increasing the quality and extending their shelf life.…”