Effects of gamma irradiation on microbial and sensory properties of fresh leek and parsley

The consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables plays an important role in promoting the general public's health and preventing various diseases. However, these useful products can be a good carrier for transmitting bacteria, parasites, and pathogens to humans. The shelf life of these products is very limited and, after three days of storage under refrigerated conditions, they will lose their consumption and change to a bulk of food waste. Irradiation can be a suitable treatment to ensure safety, increase the shelf-life of fresh vegetables, and create the possibility of exporting them to international markets. In this study, the effects of irradiation doses at 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, and 1 kGy on microbial quality and safety of fresh leek and parsley vegetables preserved at 25 and 4 °C were investigated. This study showed that the samples stored at 25°C due to high microbial load in the first two days were removed from the study cycle. In irradiated samples, until the eighth day, a dose-dependent reduction of the microbial load was observed. Foodborne pathogenic bacteria including E.coli and Staphylococcus aureus were present only in control and 0.25 kGy irradiated samples. Therefore, considering acceptable results in terms of microbial safety and sensory assays, in fresh leafy vegetables processing industry, gamma irradiation at a dose of 0.5 kGy with keeping at 4 °C, can enhance shelf life up to 8 days and decrease wastes of vegetables including leek, parsley.