Effects of dietary functional ingredients and packaging methods on sensory characteristics and consumer acceptance of irradiated turkey breast meat.

Abstract

Raw and cooked breast patties from turkeys fed 8 different diets [control; 200 IU/kg of vitamin E (VE); 0.3 mg/kg of Se; 2.5% conjugated linoleic acids (CLA); 200 IU/kg of VE + 0.3 mg/kg of Se; 200 IU/kg of VE + 2.5% CLA; 0.3 mg/kg of Se + 2.5% CLA; and 200 IU/kg of VE + 0.3 mg/kg of Se + 2.5% CLA] were treated with 2 irradiation doses (0 and 1.5 kGy) and 2 packaging methods (vacuum and aerobic). Raw and cooked samples from 32 treatments were tested by 8 trained sensory panelists for turkey aroma and irradiation off-aroma. Based on the sensory scores, the 3 dietary treatments producing the most and the least off-aroma were selected and used for a consumer acceptance study. Sensory results of raw meat showed that turkey aroma was intense in aerobically packaged meat, whereas irradiation off-aroma was intense with vacuum packaging. Raw meats from dietary treatments containing CLA (CLA, VE + CLA, Se + CLA, VE + Se + CLA) had greater turkey aroma scores, whereas those containing VE (VE and VE + Se) had lower scores than the control. Dietary treatments containing VE (VE, VE + Se, VE + Se + CLA) significantly lowered (P < 0.05) irradiation off-aroma in raw turkey breast meat, whereas CLA increased it, especially when the meats were packaged aerobically. In cooked meat, however, irradiation and packaging had no effect on turkey meat aroma and irradiation off-aroma. Cooked meat from turkeys supplemented with VE (VE and VE + Se) had less (P < 0.05) irradiation off-odor than other dietary treatments. Dietary CLA increased the irradiation off-aroma in cooked meat, which could not be reduced, even when VE and Se were combined in the diet. Irradiation off-aroma of raw meat was not pleasant for most consumers, and dietary supplementation of VE and VE + Se improved consumer acceptance of irradiated raw meat. For cooked meat samples, consumers preferred both color and flavor of irradiated meat to nonirradiated meat.