Effect of Water Activity (aw) and Irradiation on the Shelf-life of Fresh Noodles by: Man Li, Kexue Zhu,

Xu Guo, Wei Peng, Huiming Zhou Reported by: Mariel Gelera and Justine Jacinto

Noodles are one of the staple foods in most Asian countries. Due to high water and nutrient substance content, noodles have very short shelf-life. The most common spoilage organisms are bacteria, yeast, and molds. Spoilage can lead to wastage and can cause poisoning. Previous studies attempting to prolong shelf-life mostly use chemical preservatives such as potassium sorbate, sodium dehydroacetate, and calcium propionate. However, consumers demand food free of preservatives. When natural preservatives such as flaxseed and Maillard reaction products from chitosan and xylose were used, shelf-life was extended for only a few days. Thus, it is important to study the effects of other additives and methods on antimicrobial action in fresh noodles. Water activity is the degree of water availability. It is a determining factor for the growth of microorganisms and is related with degradation reactions. Microorganisms can be restrained if water activity is reduced to a lower level. Irradiation has potential to improve food safety and shelf-life. It is a method for decontaminating food products and proven to prolong shelf-life of fresh noodles. But, high doses can affect food quality. The objective of this study is to develop a novel method to prolong the store time of fresh noodles at room temperature. The effect of water activity lowering agents and gamma irradiation was investigated. Fresh noodles were prepared using wheat flour with Kitchen aid mixer. The water lowering agents (glycerol, propylene glycol, compound phosphate, salt) were dissolved at different combinations. Groups A and H were put in an oven at 4.5 minutes for 110 0C. Group H was irradiated using 63Co source. The total plate count and pH were analyzed periodically. Sensory evaluation using quantitative descriptive analysis was made. Odor and color were rated by ten panelists. A score of 10 means excellent, 6 acceptable, and 1- deteriorated. Samples are considered unacceptable if score is 5 and below. Glycerol, propylene glycol, compound phosphate, and salt were used as water lowering agents. All groups with these chemicals showed significant reduction of water activity of fresh noodles. Combinations of different water lowering agents were more effective than single ones. Group H consisting of 3% glycerol, 2% propylene glycol, 0.4% compound phosphate, and

3% salt was the most effective. This combination reduced water activity from 0.979 (control) to 0.900. Total plate count was also measured. The cutoff between spoiled and unspoiled is 10 6 CFU/g. The TPC of the control group immediately increased after only two days. The TPC of Group increased more slowly than the control. There was a slight microbial proliferation at 2 kGy. Total plate count is less than 100 CFU/g at irradiation doses greater than or equal to 4 kGy. Irradiation at 6 and 8 kGy showed almost the same preservation effect. Therefore, the optimum dose was at 4 kGy. Compared to previous studies, irradiation dose was much lower. This also showed that reduced water activity and gamma irradiation has a synergistic effect. There is a significant correlation between pH and TPC for non-irradiated samples. At lower pH, more microorganisms utilizing carbohydrates and producing acids are present. Group H pH decreased more slowly than Group A. The pH of all irradiated samples dropped to some extent, but attributed to the effect of radiation. pH of 4 and 6 kGy groups are significantly higher than the other groups. The growth of microorganisms in foods causes change in taste, odor, appearance, and texture. The sensory score of Group A decreased rapidly in the first few days. Irradiation can cause several changes in lipids and proteins which can decrease sensory properties. Irradiation at 4 kGy has the highest score. Higher irradiation dose can cause damage and even kill part of cells. Lower irradiation dose cannot effectively control microbial population. Irradiation and water activity reduction of noodles increase its shelf-life by inhibiting the growth of bacteria and reduces the amount of water so almost all bacteria, yeast and molds will not survive. This method is effective, low-cost, can largely extend store time of fresh noodles even at room temperatures, and does not produce negative changes in sensory attributes. But, high dose of irradiation can result to bad sensory attributes. The combination of the two treatments showed a synergistic effect under optimal conditions so the shelf-life of fresh noodles could be extended to a large extent. The best irradiation dose is 4 kGy.