Effect of irradiation on the quality parameters of raw beef

The objective of this study was to elucidate the relationships among lipid/protein oxidation, color changes, off-taste, and off-odor in irradiated raw beef. The raw beef round eye was prepared and irradiated at 0, 1.5, 3.0, and 4.5 kGy using a linear accelerator. Significant increases in lipid oxidation and protein oxidation were found in irradiated raw beef, while significant decreases were observed in the color values (L*-, a*-, and b*-value). The degradation of nucleotides can contribute to the taste changes (increase in sourness and decrease in umami taste) in the irradiated raw beef, which was further confirmed by the electronic tongue data. The sulfur volatiles (e.g.: dimethyl disulfide) from the sulfur-containing amino acids increased significantly after irradiation, indicating these are closely related to the off-odor of irradiated beef.