Effects of UV-C Irradiation on the Quality of Sunsik and Misutkaru during Storage

Abstract

The effects of UV-C irradiation on the quality characteristics of powdered foods, sunsik and misutkaru, were examined during storage, where samples were irradiated at doses of 27, 54, and 108 kJ/㎡, respectively. In addition, sunsik and misutkaru samples were inoculated with Enterobacter sakazakii as a pathogen and then irradiated at doses of 0.5, 1, and 5 kJ/㎡, respectively. After treatment, the sunsik and misutkaru samples were stored at 20℃. The microbiological data represented that populations of total aerobic bacteria, Bacillus cereus, and E. sakazakii were significantly (p＜0.05) reduced with increasing UV-C doses. In addition, UV-C irradiation did not cause inferiority in the color quality of the samples during storage. Sensory evaluation results also indicated that there were no significant differences (p＜0.05) among the irradiated samples. These results suggest that UV-C irradiation may be useful in maintaining the quality of sunsik and misutkaru during storage.