Assessing the effects of gamma irradiation and storage time in quality properties of almond (prunus amygdalus l.)

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effect of gamma irradiation doses (1, 2 and 3 kGy), and storage period (12 moths) on the microbial load, chemical characteristics, and sensory properties of Baladi almond nuts. The present work confirmed that, irradiation resulted in reduction of the number of total bacterial and fungal load of almonds. Gamma irradiation had no effect on chemical composition of almond nut kernels with the exception of total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) for irradiation dose of 3 kGy. During storage, the total fat and total protein were increased, but the total sugar was decreased. The TVBN increased due to irradiation doses and storage period. A trained sensory panel found that irradiation produced no significant change in texture, color, odor, and test attributes. Present analysis revealed that gamma irradiation could be successfully employed to preserve the overall quality to improve the shelf life to ensure the safety of almond nuts.