Effects of Dietary Functional Ingredients and Irradiation on the Quality of Cooked Turkey Breast Meat during Storage

Patties were prepared using the breast meat from 15-wk-old turkeys fed one of the 8 dietary treatments [Con, control; VE, 200 IU/kg vitamin E; Se, 0.3 mg/kg selenium; CLA, 2.5% conjugated linoleic acids; VE + Se, 200 IU/kg vitamin E + 0.3 mg/kg selenium; VE + CLA, 200 IU/kg vitamin E + 2.5% CLA; Se + CLA, 0.3 mg/kg selenium + 2.5% CLA; VE + Se + CLA, 200 IU/kg vitamin E + 0.3 mg/kg selenium + 2.5% CLA] for 4 wk. Patties were vacuumpackaged in oxygen-impermeable bags, and then irradiated with 0 or 1.5 kGy. Irradiated breast meats were cooked and vacuum-packaged or aerobically packaged, and the quality of meat was evaluated after 0 and 7 d of storage at 4 ◦C. Dietary VE + Se, VE + CLA, Se + CLA, and VE + Se + CLA treatments reduced lipid oxidation of cooked irradiated (1.5 kGy) turkey breast meat by 24%, 29%, 26%, and 40%, respectively, compared to that of the control after 7 d of storage under aerobic conditions. Dietary treatments had no influences on the color of nonirradiated cooked turkey breast. However, dietary VE and Se decreased the internal a ∗ value of irradiated meats in vacuum packaging at days 0 and 7, and the effect was even greater when VE and Se were combined with CLA. Dietary VE, Se, and CLA combinations significantly reduced the production of volatiles, especially those related to lipid oxidation. Dietary VE + Se, VE + CLA, and VE + Se + CLA reduced the difference in sulfur-containing compounds between irradiated and nonirradiated meat. Aerobic packaging was more effective than vacuum packaging in reducing sulfur-containing compounds. Therefore, dietary VE, Se, and CLA combinations plus aerobic packaging were effective in reducing the odor problems induced by irradiation.