Radiation Preservation of Vienna Sausage

Part I. Dose Distribution of Vienna Sausage on Package Irradiation

Abstract

The gamma irradiation of vienna sausages has been investigated in extending their shelf-life. Package irradiation is suitable for irradiation of vienna sausages in large quantity; however the unevenness of dose distribution occurs in the irradiated package. The dose distribution in a 20×30×30cm package of vienna sausages (ρ=0.27g/cm³) was measured with a Fricke of PMMA dosimeter, to examine the irradiation conditions for reducing the unevenness. The unevenness in the y-direction (horizontal) was only little. The variation in exposure dose in the z-direction (vertical) affects largely to the overall unevenness. The unevenness in the z-direction decreases by alteration of the specific activity ratio in this direction of the source rod. The unevenness in the x-direction (depth) can be decreased by irradiation at a low dose rate using a high activity source. The dose uniformity in the package was 1.13 at dose rate 1.7×10⁵R/hr with the 140, 000 Ci source.