Gamma processing of Arabic bread for immune system-compromised cancer patients

Journal Article · Sun Dec 01 00:00:00 EST 1985 · Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States)

OSTI ID:6299299

Grecz, N; Brannon, R; Jaw, R; Al-Harithy, R; Hahn, E W

Arabic bread prepared from local Saudi flour contained a total of up to 105/sup 4/ organisms per g. Most of these were bacterial spores that survived the baking process (1.3 x 10/sup 2/ to 3.5 x 10/sup 3/) and a small number of yeasts and molds (10 to 40 cells per g). The organisms in Arabic bread appear to be harmless to healthy individuals. However, for immune system-compromised cancer patients and bone marrow transplant recipients, it is prudent to irradiate the bread to reduce microbial contamination. The decimal reduction doses (10% survival) for the most radiation-resistant organisms (spore formers) in bread were 0.11 to 0.15 Mrad. Accordingly, 0.6 Mrad was sufficient to reduce the number of spores in Arabic bread by a factor of 10,000, i.e., to <1/g. This treatment constitutes radiation pasteurization (radicidation), and to this extent, provides a margin of microbiological safety. Sensory evaluation by the nine-point hedonic scale showed no detectable loss of organoleptic quality of bread up to 0.6 Mrad, while irradiation to 2.5 Mrad induced unacceptable organoleptic changes.

• Research Organization: King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Center, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
• OSTI ID: 6299299
• Journal Information: Appl. Environ. Microbiol.; (United States), Vol. 50:6
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
BREAD
RADICIDATION
FUNGI
CELL KILLING
YEASTS
BONE MARROW
COBALT 60
EVALUATION
FLOUR
IMMUNOSUPPRESSION
NEOPLASMS
PATIENTS
RADIATION DOSES
TRANSPLANTS
ANIMAL TISSUES
BETA DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BETA-MINUS DECAY RADIOISOTOPES
BODY
COBALT ISOTOPES
DISEASES
DOSES
FOOD
HEMATOPOIETIC SYSTEM
INTERMEDIATE MASS NUCLEI
INTERNAL CONVERSION RADIOISOTOPES
IRRADIATION
ISOMERIC TRANSITION ISOTOPES
ISOTOPES
MICROORGANISMS
MINUTES LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
NUCLEI
ODD-ODD NUCLEI
ORGANS
PASTEURIZATION
PLANTS
RADIOISOTOPES
TISSUES
YEARS LIVING RADIOISOTOPES
560132* - Radiation Effects on Microorganisms- Food Preservation- (-1987)