Effects of Irradiation by Electron Beam on Physical Properties of Food Polysaccharides

Abstract

Although heat sterilization is commonly used to sterilize polysaccharides to be used as a food additives, it is difficult to sterilize heat-resistant bacteria even by heat sterilization method and heat sterilization causes changes of physical properties and color tone in appearance of polysaccharides. It is thus required to develop novel non-heat sterilization method that causes no changes in physical properties of polysaccharides. We investigated effects of electron beam irradiation on physical properties of polysaccharides. Electron beam irradiation mostly caused decrease of average molecular weight, leading to the decrese in viscosity and gel strength. Magnitude of changes in these physical properties depended on polysaccharides. It was also found that physical properties of gum arabic were hardly changed by electron beam irradiation. We discussed some factors causing difference in physical properties of polysaccharides by electron beam irradiation in terms of the properties of polysaccharides.