The Effect of Gamma Irradiation on the Nutrional Properties of Sunflower Whole Grain Cookies

Abstract

Bakery and intermediate moisture food products like breads, dried fruit, cereals, cookies and crackers can benefit from irradiation processing. However, irradiated lipid - rich products must be assayed carefully in terms of safety, nutrition and acceptability. In the integral biscuits, the ready-to-eat industrialized sunflower whole grain cookies, the sources of vitamin E are oils, seeds, nuts and cereal grains and also, the ready- to-eat sunflower whole grains. Vitamin E represents an essential component in human nutrition required for the preservation of lipids in stable form in biological systems and also in foods. The possibility of using gamma irradiation to improve the microbiological and fungal quality of different foods has been studied and is nowadays applied commercially. Usually, macro and micronutrients, essential amino acids, essential fatty acids, minerals, trace elements and most vitamins not suffer significant losses in irradiated food process. In this work, data about on the effects of ionizing radiation on the vitamin E content and nutritional analysis (carbohydrate, proteins, lipids, alimentary fiber, volatile substances and ashes) of sunflower whole grain cookies. These samples were treated with gamma irradiation and their changes evaluated in vitamin E content and physicochemical analysis. Irradiation was performed in a 60Co Gammacell 220 source at doses of 3 kGy. For vitamin E (as σ-tocopherol) determination a method based on colorimetric measurements was used. The physicochemical analysis were performed by standard methods. Irradiation at 3 kGy resulted in no changes in vitamin E content. Also, no significant difference was observed between the biscuits irradiated and non – irradiated for the physicochemical analysis. From the obtained results it is possible to conclude that there is a significant stability of the vitamin E content at assayed γ-irradiation dose. And also there is no considerable difference for physicochemical properties contents of sunflower whole grain cookies.