engleski

Reduction of ochratoxin A in dry-cured meat products using gamma irradiation

The aim of this study was to investigate the efficiency of gamma (γ) irradiation in the reduction of ochratoxin A (OTA) present in dry- cured meat products prepared from intentionally contaminated raw materials from OTA-treated pigs. OTA concentrations determined in the samples (n=24) ranged from 25.85 μg/kg in bacon to 17.81 μg/kg in smoked ham. After γ-irradiation at doses of 3, 7 and 10 kGy (i.e. the doses used in the food industry), a dose-depended OTA reduction was observed, however not statistically significant. The mean OTA reduction achieved with 3-kGy, 7-kGy and 10-kGy γ-doses approximated to 8.51%, 13.89% and 22.48%, respectively. The storage of irradiated samples (one month, +4°C) did not significantly affect OTA levels. Based on the correlation between the OTA reduction level and basic chemical composition of dry-cured meat samples, OTA reduction may be linked to the samples’ fat content. The obtained results indicate that γ- irradiation can reduce OTA levels in dry-cured meat products, but only to a limited extent due to the complexity of their matrix.

ochratoxin A ; reduction ; gamma irradiation ; dry-cured meat products ; ELISA

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