ABSTRACT
Irradiation is a safe and effective approach for food preservation since it reduces food spoilage and improves food hygiene and shelf life. However, irradiation can decrease food quality by causing lipid oxidation and off-odors/flavors. The thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) assay can be used to evaluate the degree of malondialdehyde produced in meat. The effect of irradiation by the electron beam on TBARS and quality in poultry meat (duck and chicken) was investigated. The source of data in the meta-analysis study was conducted on search engines (Scopus®, and PubMed®), searched with “irradiation”, “meat”, “chicken” and/or “duck” as keywords. The mixed model methodology was used in the present study. After evaluation, 9 articles and 38 studies were chosen to be included in the database. Electron beam irradiation significantly (p<0.05) increased the amount of TBARS. With regard to meat quality, electron beam irradiation increased the redness of poultry meat (p<0.01) and decreased the total bacteria and coliforms (p<0.01). However, there were no differences among the control and irradiation treatment groups for any of the sensory attributes tested (taste, texture, and flavor). In the present meta-analysis study, it can be concluded that irradiation by electron beam had no effect on meat quality properties. However, irradiation could increase TBARS values.
