Author(s): Mahfouz Al-Bachir and Yasser Othman
Article publication date: 2016-03-01
Vol. 34 No. 1/2 (yearly), pp. 17-25.
228
Keywords
Chemical analysis, Gamma irradiation, Microbial load, Peanut seeds, Sensory evaluation.
Abstract
This work report the effect of irradiation with gamma rays (1, 2 and 3 kGy) on the chemical composition, microbial loads, chemical characteristics and sensorial properties of the peanut seeds. The data obtained from the experiments showed that gamma irradiation process has no effect on the proximate composition (water content, proteins, sugars, lipids, and ash), and chemical attributes (free fatty
acids, pH value and based nitrogen value (BVN)) of peanut seeds. Irradiation
was found to cause significant reduction in microbial load and no fungal colonies
were detected in irradiated samples with 2 and 3 kGy. Bacterial and fungal load
of irradiated peanut seeds and there comparison with control samples suggest that
gamma irradiation treatment at low doses is an effective post-harvest treatment
and quarantine control for fungal load. However, non-irradiated and irradiated
peanut seeds did not show significant differences in the sensorial test (texture,
odor, color and test).