Efecto de la radiación en las características microbiológicas, físico químicas y evaluación sensorial de la Cúrcuma (Curcuma longa)

Turmeric or stick is a spice used in food as a flavouring or coloring, it is capable to microbial contamination, which can cause disease and food spoilage. In this study we present the results of the evaluation on turmeric or stick micropulverized integer by using gamma radiation at doses of 3, 5, 8 and 12 kGy (Analysis dosimetry, microbiological analysis of aerobic plate count and total coliform number). In another batch, samples of turmeric, with masses of 500 g were irradiated at Gammacell equipment 220 at doses of 0, 4, 5 and 6 kGy. The initial dose rate was 5.82 kGy/h. The samples were subjected to the following tests: microbiological (mesophilic aerobes, anaerobes, Enterobacteriaceae, Salmonella /Shigella, total coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus group D Lancefield, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium sulphite reducer, molds and yeasts); physical chemical (total ash, ash insoluble in HCl, alcoholic extract, essential oil and ether extract) sensory evaluation (color, smell and taste by a descriptive test). Analytical methods were those recommended by the FDA, APHA, AOAC and NTP. At different tested doses, we found no differences in physical-chemical and sensory. The lowest dose that ensures the safety of turmeric was 6 kGy reduced the mesophilic population over 5 log units of 1.3 x 105 to <10 CFU/g. It was also enough to reduce the population of yeast, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium sulfite reducer 2 log cycles at <10 CFU/g, meeting the required specifications without altering the physics-chemical and sensory evaluation.