Detection of Irradiated Fresh Chicken, Pork and Fish using the DNA Comet Assay

Author: Cerda H.

Source: Lebensmittel-Wissenschaft und-Technologie, Volume 31, Number 1, 1998 , pp. 89-92(4)

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Abstract:

Fresh chicken legs, pork chops and salmon were irradiated with 10 MeV electrons and stored at 2 °C. Irradiation doses were 0, 2.5 and 5.0 kGy. Cells isolated from muscle tissues were analysed using the DNA comet assay 1, 7 and 14 d post-irradiation. The cells were embedded in a agarose gel on a microscope slide and subjected to electrophoresis causing DNA and its fragments to migrate in the gel producing a pattern characteristic of the irradiation dose (DNA comet). All irradiated samples could be detected. There was no increase of the bacterial population in these samples during the period of study (qualitative estimation). The unirradiated samples could also be identified by the pattern of their comets. The bacterial population in these samples increased with storage time and after 2 weeks off-odour development was observed. It was concluded that irradiated fresh chicken, pork and salmon could be detected using the DNA comet assay. Copyright 1998 Academic Press Limited

Language: English

Document Type: Research article

Affiliations: Department of Radioecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, S-750 07, Sweden

Publication date: 1998-01-01