The Nutrition and Quality Changes of Hairtail Irradiated by High Energy Electron Beam

ABSTRACT

Hairtail is one of the most popular marine fish. Since the outbreak of COVID -19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been detected in numerous imported hairtails in China, posing significant health risks. Electron beam (E-beam) irradiation is an efficient and rapid method of inactivating microorganisms. Previous work found that specific doses of E-beam irradiation can inactivate SARS-CoV-2 in cold-chain seafood. The article studied the effects of 2, 4, 7, 10 kGy of E-beam irradiation on the nutritional, physical, storage, and sensory quality of imported hairtail. The results showed that 4-10 kGy E-beam irradiation significantly reduced the vitamin A content of hairtail while significantly increasing its hardness, elasticity, adhesiveness, and chewiness. The dose of 10 kGy irradiation significantly decreased the total volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) content of hairtail. It was shown that 2-10 kGy E-beam irradiation had no effect on the sensory quality of hairtail. In conclusion, a dose of 2 kGy was recommended in consideration of the keeping safety and quality in hairtail. © 2022 Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology. All rights reserved.