| Popis: |
We conducted this study to determine the optimum dose of gamma irradiation needed for the sterilization of milk porridge for patients. Milk porridge, known as Tarakjuk, was irradiated with gamma ray at doses of 0, 1, 3, 5, 7, or 10 kGy. The microbial contamination, values of isolated microbe spores, color, and viscosity were measured during storage at . The initial count of total aerobic bacteria was 2.60 log CFU/g in the non-irradiated milk porridge, but coliforms, spore-forming bacteria, yeast, and molds were not detected. The total counts of aerobic and spore-forming bacteria in the non-irradiated and 1 kGy irradiated milk porridge increased with storage period. These microbes were not detected in the milk porridge irradiated with 10 kGy. The values of isolated spores from milk porridge were 2.71 kGy (in milk porridge) and 2.21 kGy (in saline solution). All CIE color increased with gamma irradiation, but the sensory value of color did not significantly change. The viscosity of the milk porridge decreased with gamma irradiation and storage period, and the decrease in viscosity with storage period became smaller as the radiation doses increased. Sensory evaluation scores of the milk porridge were above normal (4.0) when irradiated with less than 5 kGy. These results indicate that gamma irradiation could be beneficial for preparing food with higher nutrient density and lower viscosity, especially for gastric tube-fed patients. |
