Effect of ionizing radiation dose, temperature, and atmosphere on the survival of Salmonella typhimurium in sterile, mechanically deboned chicken meat.

The response to gamma radiation (0 to 3.60 kGy; 100 krad = 1 kGy) of Salmonella typhimurium was tested in otherwise sterile, mechanically deboned chicken meat (MDCM) in the absence of competing microflora. Response was determined at temperatures of -20 to +20 C and when the MDCM was packaged in vacuum or in the presence of air. A central composite response-surface design was used to test the response of the pathogen to the treatments in a single experiment. Predictive equations were developed from the analyses of variances of the resulting data. The accuracy of each predictive equation was tested by further studies of the effects of gamma radiation on S. typhimurium in the presence or absence of air at -20, 0, and +20 C. All data were then analyzed to refine the predictive equations further. Both the original and the refined equations adequately predicted the response of S. typhimurium in MDCM to gamma radiation doses up to 3.60 kGy in the presence of air or in vacuo. Gamma irradiation was significantly more lethal for S. typhimurium in the presence of air and at higher temperatures. The final equations predict a reduction in the number of surviving Salmonella in MDCM irradiated to 1.50 kGy at -20 C of 2.53 logs in air or 2.12 logs if irradiated in vacuum. If the contaminated MDCM were to receive a dose of 3.0 kGy at -20 C in air, the number of Salmonella would be decreased by 4.78 logs, and if irradiated in vacuum, by 4.29 logs.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)