Chapter 3 - Electron Spin Resonance Technique in the Quality Determination of Irradiated Foods

Abstract

The use of electron spin resonance (ESR) techniques in the detection and characterization of free radicals generated in ionizing radiation treated solid foods is described. A brief account of the increasing acceptance of irradiated foods by consumers worldwide, together with the Indian program on food irradiation, especially inhibition of sprouting in potato and onions, is provided. It is emphasized that the ESR technique offers a reliable and noninvasive technique to identify and quantify intrinsic as well as induced free radicals in irradiated solid foods. The progress of basic ESR research in relation to quality determination in the Indian food irradiation program is described. It is pointed out that the observed power saturation behavior of ESR signals and the use of spin labeling techniques in untreated and radiation treated foods may help develop novel methods for determining the minimum radiation dose for sterilization and preservation of radiation processed foods.