Rapid and Reliable Method for Determining Irradiation Histories of Ground Beef and Prawns by Measuring 5,6-Dihydrothymidine

A rapid and reliable method for determining irradiation histories of ground beef and prawns was developed on the basis of a method for determining the irradiation history of beef liver by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) of 5,6-dihydrothymidine (DHdThd). Improvements in the method included the following: (1) 50% ethanol precipitation in the DNA extraction step was conducted before the RNase step, (2) snake venom phosphodiesterase I was used for DNA digestion to boost liberation of DHdThd, and (3) a matrix-matched calibration curve was used for determining DHdThd by LC-MS/MS analysis. This method successfully determined irradiation histories of ground beef and prawns. Furthermore, a close correlation between the formation of DHdThd and 2-alkylcyclobutanones, which are an established index of irradiation histories, was observed in ground beef. DHdThd in DNA could be a promising candidate for a new index of irradiation histories of various foods.