A Comparison Between E-Beam Irradiation and High-Pressure Treatment for Cold-Smoked Salmon Sanitation: Shelf-Life, Colour, Texture and Sensory Characteristics

The effect of electron beam irradiation and high-pressure treatment on the characteristics of cold-smoked salmon during refrigerated storage at 5 °C was investigated. Irradiation at 1–4 kGy and high-pressure treatments at 450 MPa for 5–25 min reduced total viable counts and delayed microbial growth. Irradiation induced a slight decrease in redness (a*), whereas high-pressure treatment resulted in a brighter (L*) appearance of smoked salmon. Higher values of hardness and shear strength were recorded for pressurized samples. Total biogenic amine concentration in smoked salmon held for 20 days at 5 °C was lowered by 81 % in samples irradiated at 2 kGy, and by 46 % in samples pressurized at 450 MPa for 25 min. Smoked salmon irradiated at 1 or 2 kGy had negligible sensory (appearance, odour and flavour) alterations, but lower sensory preferences in the rank order test were observed for 3 and 4 kGy samples. Pressurization for 5 min at 450 MPa induced moderate sensory changes, which were more marked after 15 or 25 min at 450 MPa. These results point to the usefulness of E-beam radiation at 1.5 kGy to assure a safe product of sensory characteristics similar to those of untreated smoked salmon.