PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND SENSORY ANALYSES ON EGG POWDER IRRADIATED TO INACTIVATE SALMONELLA AND REDUCE MICROBIAL LOAD

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Abstract
Egg powder was treated with 0, 2, 5 and 10 kGy of gamma radiation at 20C to inactivate Salmonella and to stabilize its microbial load. Microbial, physicochemical and sensory determinations were performed during 4 months of storage to select the optimal radiation dose to attain the objective without significantly reducing egg quality. Microbial results show that 2.0 kGy inactivated Salmonella and reduced microbial load to levels below those stipulated by the Argentine regulations. Physicochemical determinations of egg powder extracts for peroxide number, spectrophotometric measurements in the visible and ultraviolet regions, functional properties on sponge cakes made with egg powder (height, comprssion‐relaxiation cycle parameters), foam stability and viscosity showed that gamma radiation at the dose of 2 kGy, did not cause significant changes in these parameters. Higher radiation doses (5 and 10 kGy) did increase rancidity, pigment loss and protein chain scission. Sensory determinations performed on egg powder, and on cakes manufactured with it, agreed with the physicochemical results. After 110 storage days, 2 kGy was the most suitable of the tested doses.