Microbial safety and physicochemical characteristics of electron beam irradiated whole egg powder.

The effect of electron beam (EB) irradiation on inactivation of foodborne microorganisms and the quality of whole egg powder (WEP) was investigated. WEP sample was irradiated (0, 1, 2, and 4 kGy) and stored for 2 months at 25°C. The D 10 values for Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella Typhimurium were 0.26, 0.13, and 0.26 kGy, respectively. The L* value increased, while the a* and b* values decreased with increasing irradiation dose. Foaming ability of irradiated samples increased at 0 and 1 months, but not at 2 month. The peroxide value of sample increased both with irradiation and storage. After 1 and 2 months, samples irradiated at 2 and 4 kGy had lower sensory scores for color than those irradiated at 1 kGy. These results suggested that the use of low-dose EB irradiation (≤2 kGy) could improve microbial safety and foaming ability of the WEP with minimal quality changes.