Use of the DNA Comet Assay to detect beef meat treated by ionizing radiation.

The DNA Comet Assay has been described as a rapid and inexpensive screening test to identify radiation treatment of food. In this work, this method was applied to detect the treatment of beef meat pieces either by gamma rays or electron beam. The dose levels were 2.5, 4.5, and 7.0kGy for chilled samples, and 2.5, 4.5, 7.0 and 8.5kGy for frozen samples. The analyses were made over periods of 15 and 30 days after irradiation for the chilled and frozen samples, respectively. The effects of gamma rays and electron beam on DNA migration in the test were similar. The DNA Comet Assay, under neutral conditions, made it easy to discriminate between irradiated and non-irradiated beef.