Evaluation of radiation-induced compounds in irradiated raw or cooked chicken meat during storage.

The concentrations of hydrocarbons, 2-alkylcyclobutanones, and sulfur volatiles in irradiated (0 and 5 kGy) chicken meat samples (raw, precooked, and irradiated-cooked) were analyzed after 0 and 6 mo of frozen storage (-40°C) under oxygen-permeable packaging conditions. Two hydrocarbons [8-heptadecene (C(17:1)) and 6,9-heptadecadiene (C(17:2))], two 2-alkylcyclobutanones (2-dodecylcyclobutanone and 2-tetradecylcyclobutanone), and dimethyl disulfide were determined as radiation-induced detection markers in the irradiated raw and cooked chicken meats. Although irradiated-cooked samples produced fewer hydrocarbons and 2-alkylcyclobutanones than precooked irradiated samples, the number of individual hydrocarbons or 2-alkylcyclobutanones was still sufficient to detect radiation treatment even after 6 mo of storage at -40°C. Among sulfur volatiles, only dimethyl disulfide was found in meat after 6 mo of storage, indicating it has potential to be used an irradiation detection marker for frozen-stored meats under oxygen-permeable packaging conditions.