Ionizing radiation and antioxidants affect volatile sulfur compounds, lipid oxidation, and color of ready-to-eat Turkey bologna

Bologna was processed from ground turkey breast meats containing one of four antioxidant treatments (none, rosemary extract, sodium erythorbate, and sodium nitrite). After it was cooked, the bologna was sliced, sealed in gas impermeable bags, exposed to 0, 1.5, and 3.0 kGy gamma-radiation, and then stored at 5 degrees C for up to 8 weeks. Thiobarbuturic acid reactive substances (TBARS), color, and volatile sulfur compounds were measured every 2 weeks during storage. Irradiation had no consistent effect on TBARS values. The rosemary extract and sodium nitrite inhibited, while erythorbate increased, TBARS values, independent of radiation dose or storage time. Irradiation promoted redness and reduced yellowness of the control (no antioxidant) bologna at weeks 0 and 2. The use of nitrite and rosemary extract inhibited the changes in color due to irradiation. Several volatile sulfur compounds (hydrogen sulfide, methanethiol, methyl sulfide, and dimethyl disulfide), measured using a pulsed flame photometric detector, increased with radiation dose. However, none of the antioxidants had any substantial effect on volatile sulfur compounds induced by irradiation. Our results suggest that antioxidants did not consistently affect irradiation-induced volatile sulfur compounds of turkey bologna although they did significantly impact color and lipid oxidation.