Detection of irradiated chicken by hydrocarbon method and ESR method

Abstract

Chicken meat with bone was irradiated by gamma ray at -19-10°C, and both amount of hydrocarbons formed from fatty acids and intensity of ESR signals in bone fragments were measured. Very good correlation was found between the amount of hydrocarbons and the intensity of ESR signals.
The amount of hydrocarbons (Cn-2: 1), had 2 carbon atoms less than the original fatty acids and an additional double bond, was almost constant irrespective of the irradiation temperature. The amount of hydrocarbons (Cn-1: 0), had 1 carbon atom less than the original fatty acids, increased as the irradiation temperature raised. As the ratio between corresponding fatty acids, theratio between hydrocarbons (Cn-2: 1) is a suitable index in the detection of the irradiation. On the contrary, the ratio of hydrocarbons from same fatty acid, (Cn-2: 1)/(Cn-1: 0), varied according to the kind of fatty acid and temperature used at the irradiation.
It was found that under the irradiation temperature of -19-10°C, intensity of ESR signals of bone is not affecte by the irradiation temperature.