Meat Irradiation: A Comprehensive Review of Its Impact on Food Quality and Safety

Abstract

Food irradiation is a proven method commonly used for enhancing the safety and quality of meat. This technology effectively reduces the growth of microorganisms such as viruses, bacteria, and parasites. It also increases the lifespan and quality of products by delaying spoilage and reducing the growth of microorganisms. Irradiation does not affect the sensory characteristics of meats, including color, taste, and texture, as long as the appropriate dose is used. However, its influence on the chemical and nutritional aspects of meat is complex as it can alter amino acids, fatty acids, and vitamins as well as generate free radicals that cause lipid oxidation. Various factors, including irradiation dose, meat type, and storage conditions, influence the impact of these changes. Irradiation can also affect the physical properties of meat, such as tenderness, texture, and water-holding capacity, which is dose-dependent. While low irradiation doses potentially improve tenderness and texture, high doses negatively affect these properties by causing protein denaturation. This research also explores the regulatory and public perception aspects of food irradiation. Although irradiation is authorized and controlled in many countries, its application is controversial and raises concerns among consumers. Food irradiation is reliable for improving meat quality and safety but its implication on the chemical, physical, and nutritional properties of products must be considered when determining the appropriate dosage and usage. Therefore, more research is needed to better comprehend the long-term implications of irradiation on meat and address consumer concerns.

Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction/Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry and Chemometric Approach for the Study of Volatile Profile in X-ray Irradiated Surface-Ripened Cheeses

“…For both cheeses, the qualitative composition of the fatty acids was not influenced by irradiation; meanwhile, their areas were dose-dependent. So, irradiation promotes the formation of carboxylic acids inducing lipid oxidation and lipase activity, in agreement with what has been obtained by other authors, also for different matrices [55][56][57]. However, the dosedependent trend in the case of the Camembert cheese would lead one to the conclusion that irradiation favors the production of carboxylic acids, but at higher doses, the degradation processes exceed those of formation, as already described for alcohols.…”

Hemoglobin Derivatives in Beef Irradiated with Accelerated Electrons

“…Figure 6c shows the dependency of C metHb in the nonirradiated beef samples on the storage time, t storage , calculated using Formula (10). Taking into account the correlation between the number of metHb molecules and the bacteria population in the irradiated beef samples (9), the dependency of C metHb in the irradiated samples on the storage time t storage can be described by the formula:…”

“…The discoloration of irradiated meat is known to occur because of the oxidation of pigments and oxy-derivatives of myoglobin [8]. Beef is most susceptible to irradiation-induced color changes compared with other types of meat [9] because of a high myoglobin content, which is extremely sensitive to different chemical changes in the tissues and to the absorption of energy [7,10]. The taste of meat is determined by the composition of water-soluble compounds, which are more abundant in beef than in pork or poultry meat [11].…”

Volatile Compound Markers in Beef Irradiated with Accelerated Electrons

“…Quantitative analysis of lipid oxidation products significantly contributes to the understanding of oxidative spoilage of various food products after exposure to various physicochemical factors [ 24 ]. Considering that the complexity of meat irradiation is exacerbated by the fact that beef is additionally acted upon by ferrous ions contained in myoglobin and hemoglobin that trigger a chain reaction in lipid oxidation [ 25 ], this study focuses on beef specifically to explore a wide variety of dynamic changes that may occur in irradiated chilled meat during storage [ 26 ].…”