Modeling and optimization of sensory changes and shelf-life in vacuum-packaged cooked ham treated by E-beam irradiation

[EN] The E-beam irradiation of vacuum-packaged RTE cooked ham was carried out to establish the dose required to achieve the food safety objective (FSO) and to minimize changes in selected sensory attributes. Cooked ham was irradiated with doses ranging 1-4 kGy. After the treatment, the microbial inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes, the shelf-life of the product and some sensory attributes (appearance, odor, and flavor) were determined. The inactivation of L monocytogenes was satisfactorily described by a first-order kinetics equation (R2=0.99). The influence of the irradiation dose on appearance, odor, and flavor was modeled through Gompertz (R2=0.99, for appearance) and Activation/Inactivation (R2=0.99, for odor and flavor) equations. A model was also developed to determine the shelf-life of irradiated cooked ham depending on the irradiation dose (R2 > 0.91). The dose that maximized the scores of the sensory attributes was 0.96 kGy resulting in an acceptable sensory quality for 80 days. It is possible to apply up to 2 kGy to ensure microbial safety, while provoking no significant changes in the above mentioned sensory attributes. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The authors acknowledge the financial support from the Project CSD2007-00016 (CONSOLIDER-INGENIO 2010) funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.Benedito Fort, JJ.; Cambero, MI.; Ortuño Cases, C.; Cabeza, MC.; Ordoñez, JA.; De La Hoz, L. (2011). Modeling and optimization of sensory changes and shelf-life in vacuum-packaged cooked ham treated by E-beam irradiation. Radiation Physics and Chemistry. 80(3):505-513. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2010.11.001S50551380

Chemical and physical methodologies for the replacement/reduction of sulfur dioxide use during winemaking: review of their potentialities and limitations

Sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) is probably one of the most versatile and efficient additives used in winemaking due to its antiseptic and antioxidant properties. This compound is also important for minimizing phenolic polymerization rate and color loss during wine aging. However, allergies caused by SO 2 -derived compounds, namely the sulfites, are becoming more frequent, causing symptoms such as headaches, nausea, gastric irritation, and breathing difficulties in asthma patients. Consequently, the legislated maximum concentration of SO 2 allowed in wines has been gradually reduced. For this reason, it is crucial in a competitive global winemaking market strategy, to reduce or even eliminate the use of SO 2 as a preservative and to search for new healthier and safe strategies. This work gives an overview of the main methodologies that have been proposed so far and that have potential to be used in winemaking as an alternative to SO 2 . The addition of compounds such as dimethyl dicarbonate, bacteriocins, phenolic compounds, and lysozyme, and the use of physical methods, namely pulsed electric fields, ultrasound, ultraviolet radiation, and high pressure are discussed and critically evaluated