Radiation Preservation Of Smoked Guinea Fowl (Numida Meleagris) Meat For Enhanced Shelf Life

ABSTRACT Guinea fowl “(Numida meleagris) production is the”main basis of livelihood to many Ghanaians with substantial “role in nutrition and food security.”Due to the nutritional quality of guinea fowl meat, it has resulted in processing of the meat into various shelfstable and ready-to-eat” meat “products, such as”smoked, grilled or fried meat. However, the current traditional guinea fowl meat processing methods do not always guarantee a prolonged “shelf life and quality of the meat.” Smoking also exposes the meat to “potential health hazards associated with smoked foods “mainly polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their derivatives.” The present study aimed at investigating the effect of”gamma irradiation on the nutritional composition, smoke quality (PAHs) and shelf life of smoked guinea fowl meat stored at refrigerated temperature. Dressed guinea fowl meats were smoked, packaged and gamma irradiated with doses of 0, 2.5, 5.0 and 7.5 kGy at a”dose rate of 0.74 kGy h-1 . Nutritional composition and PAHs concentrations were determined using standard analytical methods. Physicochemical, sensory and”microbial properties of the treated”meats were determined over refrigerated storage period using appropriate procedures. Gamma “irradiation significantly (p˂0.05) affected the” major nutritional components of the meat. However, elemental (mineral) compositions “of the meat were” not significantly (p>0.05) affected. Sixteen (16) U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) priority PAHs were”detected in the smoked meat. Gamma irradiation significantly (p˂0.05) reduced”the PAHs concentrations and their carcinogenic derivatives drastically with undetectable “levels of benzo[a]pyrene and other” four “high molecular weight””(HMW) “PAHs known to be carcinogenic”to humans. The reduction of the PAHs concentrations were exponential with the 2 increasing irradiation doses. Titratable acidity (TA) and acid value (AV) decreased significantly (p˂0.05) with”gamma irradiation, but increased with storage. pH of the meat samples were however within the neutral range which was numerically insignificant to affect quality characteristics of the processed meat. Bacterial isolates identified on the basis of their mass spectra of”protein profiles on the smoked guinea fowl meat were Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens and Enterobacter cloacae. The total bacterial counts decreased with increasing doses of gamma irradiation and storage. Irradiation had highly significant effects (p˂0.05) on the reduction of microbial population. Irradiation had “no significant effects (p≥0.05) on the sensory attributes” (aroma, colour, tenderness and taste) of the smoked guinea fowl meat; but the taste of the irradiated meat samples was influenced at the end of the seven weeks refrigerated storage period. Results obtained in the present study indicate that the successful utilization of gamma irradiation as a potent advanced oxidation process, will promote microbial decontamination, decomposition and elimination of harmful carcinogenic PAHs with minimal effect on nutritional and physicochemical properties, while enhancing the sensory and overall shelf life of smoked guinea fowl meat.