4. Conclusion
Electron beam irradiation significantly reduced the numbers of inoculated E. coli O157:H7 and L. monocytogenes in meat byproducts and no viable cells were detected in both aerobically- and vacuum-packaged samples irradiated at 4 kGy. The D10 values of pathogens were lower in the aerobic packaging than under vacuum-packaging conditions. The present study indicates that low-dose electron beam irradiation can reduce the risk of contamination of meat byproducts by foodborne pathogens.
Acknowledgment
This work was supported from Radiation Technology R&D Program (NRF-2014M2A2A6045051) through the National Research Foundation of Korea funded by the Ministry of Science, ICT & Future Planning and Institute of Green Bio Science and Technology, Seoul National University.