The Meat is a valuable part of the human diet as the meat contains essential elements such as meat protein, meat vitamins, and meat minerals. The meat products types are vulnerable to the microbial meat pathogens and the meat spoilage, posing significant risks to the public health and the social meat quality. The Ionizing radiation method is used in the irradiated meat to maintain the meat safety and meat quality of the consumed meat products types specifically the beef meat.

During recent decades, the irradiation method of the meat products reduces the microbial meat contamination and extends the storage period of the meat. The procedure entails exposing the meat products types to a regulated amount of the ionizing radiation method, mostly accomplished by applying the gamma ray’s method, the electron beams method, or the X rays’ method. The radiation causes disrupt the DNA and other cellular components of the microbes contaminating the meat, making the microbes unable to reproduce and causing death of the microbial contamination. The procedure causes break down some of the molecules of the meat which can affect the meat nutritional quality and meat sensory properties.

Despite the irradiation potential benefits, the irradiated meat products types remain controversial, with concerns about the irradiation meat safety, efficacy, and irradiation effect on the meat nutritional quality and the meat sensory properties of meat products types. The irradiated meat products types could create the harmful compounds or destroy the essential nutrients. In contrast, others questioned the need for the irradiation method, considering other meat safety measures, such as the good manufacturing practices and the meat testing. The Consumer acceptance of the irradiated meat products types needs to be addressed, with some people expressing concerns about the meat safety and meat acceptability (1,2,3,4,5 and 6). Our review article aims to important evaluate the irradiated meat products types and its repercussions on the meat quality and the meat safety of the beef meat products. To proof the meat irradiation method effectiveness at lowering the microbial meat contamination and prolonging the shelf life of the beef meat is explored along with its potential effect on the physical and the chemical characteristics, the meat nutrient content, and the meat sensory properties. This review article addresses the regulatory framework for the irradiated meat types, including the consumed meat labeling requirements and the consumed meat government oversight, as well as identify the areas for more meat researches and meat policy development (7,8,9,10,11 and 12).

The Sources and Principles of the irradiated meat products types:

The meat Ionizing radiation method such as gamma rays’ method, the X rays’ method, or the high energy electrons method, is used to irradiate the meat types. The irradiated meat products types are determined by the absorbed dose expressed in Gray (Gy) or kilo Gray (kGy), with one Gray being equal to one J/kg of product. The technique is considered a safe and effective way to decrease or eliminate the hazardous microbes, prolong the shelf life, as well as enhance the meat quality and safety of the meat types (79,80,81,82,83 and 84). The principles of the irradiated meat products types are determined by the ability to disrupt the genetic material of microorganisms, preventing them from reproducing or causing illness. The irradiation method affects the microorganisms’ genetic material (the DNA or the RNA) directly and indirectly. The Direct irradiation method can break the bonds between base pairs in the genetic material, killing the cell’s reproduction ability. The damage to the water molecules creates free radicals and reactive oxygen, which damage genetic material indirectly. The Irradiation method helps to break down certain enzymes and meat proteins that can contribute to spoilage, thereby increasing the shelf life of the meat (13,14,15,16,17 and 18). The United State, Canada, as well as several European and Asian nations, allow the irradiated meat products types using the Cobalt 60 method, cesium 137 methods and the electron beam accelerators method. The Cobalt 60 method, the most prevalent source of the ionizing radiation method for the irradiated meat products types, is a radioactive isotope that emits the gamma rays capable of penetrating deep into the meat products types to destroy the harmful microorganisms. The Cesium 137 method is another source of the ionizing radiation method; it is less commonly used than cobalt 60. The electron beam accelerators are used for the irradiated meat products types. The devices generate high energy electrons method that can penetrate the meat products types to eliminate the harmful microorganisms and extend the beef meat shelf life (19,20,21,22,23 and 24). The Irradiating meat products types have several benefits to the meat including multifunctional applications as well as guaranteed meat safety and meat security. The spectrum produced is effective against the bacterial spores across a broad range of concentrations. The processing does not involve heat, it is safe for the meat products types, does not significantly reduce the meat nutrient levels, leaves no chemical residues, and is simple to control during use to effectively lengthen the lifespan of the irradiated meat products types. The Radurization method uses low doses of 0.1–1 kGy (85,86,87,88,89 and 90). This dose inhibits respiration, delays the ripening, disinfects the meat pests, and inactivates the Trichinella parasite. The Radicidation method is referred to as a moderate dose. The meat radiation uses a quantity of approximately 1–10 kGy, which has the effect of reducing the microbial meat spoilage and the microbial meat pathogens including the Salmonella species and the Listeria monocytogenes which contaminate the meat. In regarding to this dosage is typically found in the frozen meat products types and its application is identical to that of the pasteurization method, except irradiation method does not rely on the thermal energy method (91,92,93,94,95 and 96). The Radapertization method uses extremely high doses which are above or equal to 10 kGy, ranging between 30 and 50 kGy. The irradiation dose is typically used in the sterilization process because its effect can kill all the contaminating microorganisms in the meat products types up to the level of the spores of the microorganisms. The irradiated meat products type’s origin and the principles are based on the ability of the ionizing radiation method to disrupt the genetic material of the microorganisms, the enzymes, and the proteins in the meat products types, culminating in improved meat safety and meat quality. The use of irradiation method is regulated by the national and the international authorities to ensure its safety and effectiveness in the meat preservation (25,26,27,28,29 and 30).

The action of Irradiation method on the irradiated beef meat products:

 The Microbial Safety of the irradiated beef meat products:

The Microbial meat safety is important aspect of the beef meat production and consumption, as these meat products can be a source of the various harmful microorganisms that can cause the meat borne illness. The beef meat products are potentially contaminated with microbial pathogens, such as Salmonella, Escherichia coli, Campylobacter, and Listeria monocytogenes, leading to severe illness or death in vulnerable populations (31,32,33,34,35 and 36). Meat Contamination might occur at the production, processing, or distribution stage, including on the farm, during transport, in slaughterhouses or processing facilities, and in meat retail outlets or at home. The Improper beef meat handling and the storage of the beef meat products can increase the risk of beef meat contamination (97,98,99,100,101 and 102). The meat borne illness outbreaks related to the beef meat have been reported in the world with various types of the meat products being implicated, including the ground beef meat products, the chicken meat products, the pork meat products, and the processed beef meat products. The outbreaks have led to the significant public health hazards, the social meat quality and the economic consequences, the highlighting the importance of the effective interventions to reduce the risk of the meat contamination (37,38,39,40,41 and 42). The Irradiation method has been studied extensively for its efficacy in reducing the microbial contamination of the beef meat. The exposing of the meat products types to the ionizing radiation method, the latter reduces or eliminates the harmful meat microorganisms that can cause meat borne illness and affect the social meat quality. The irradiation method could effectively reduce the levels of the meat microbial pathogens such as Salmonella species and Escherichia coli as well as levels of the meat spoilage organisms leading to improved microbial meat safety and a reduced the risk of the meat borne illness and improve the social meat quality (103,104,105,106,107 and 108). The effectiveness of the different types of the ionizing radiation method on the beef meat including the gamma ray’s method and the e beams method, has been used; the gamma ray irradiation method is more effective than the e beam meat irradiation method is at inhibiting the microbial growth in the beef meat. The UV light method effectively eliminates the Salmonella species, the Pseudomonas species, the Micrococcus species, and the Staphylococcus species on the beef meat. The shelf life of the beef meat products types is extended by eliminating the microbial meat contaminant (109,110,111, 112, 113 and 114). The Gamma irradiation method at low doses can improve the microbiological meat safety, ensure meat safety, and extend the chicken meat’s products shelf life without affecting the meat quality. The 3 kGy gamma irradiated beef meat reduced the growth of the mesophilic bacteria, coliforms bacteria, and the Staphylococcus aureus bacteria (115,116,117,118,119 and 120). The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) determined that a 3.5 kGy gamma ray irradiation method dose effectively eliminates the pathogenic microbes from the fresh beef meat and improve the social meat quality. The meat Irradiation method slows the growth of the bacterial cells and deactivating the bacterial metabolism (157,158,159,160,161 and 162). The Bacteria are inherently resistant to the action of the irradiation method and, in the lag phase or inactive state, will be more resistant. In contrast, the bacteria in the growth phase will be more effective (43,44,45,46,47 and 48). 

The Chemical Properties of the irradiated beef meat products types:

The chemical properties of the irradiated beef meat refer to the changes that occur to the chemical constituents and the compositions of the meat products types due to exposure to the ionizing radiation method and affect the social meat quality. The Irradiation method can cause both the desirable and the undesirable action on the chemical characteristics of the beef meat, depending on the dose and the specific compounds in the meat products types (49,50,51,52,53 and 54). The most significant changes often observed in the irradiated beef meat products is the formation of the free radicals. They become reactive molecules that damage cellular components and cause oxidative stress. Thus, lipid oxidation, which causes off flavors and odors, as well as a decline in the nutritional meat quality due to the loss of essential fatty acids and other nutrients (121,122,123,124,125 and 126). The irradiation method at lower doses aids lipid oxidation by reducing the levels of peroxides and other reactive species. This procedure affects the meat protein content of the beef meat, leading to alterations in the composition of the amino acids, meat protein structure, and meat digestibility. The changes have potentially positive and negative action, mostly on the meat nutritional value and affect the social meat quality, that are contingent upon the particular meat proteins involved and the dose of radiation used (127,128,129,130,131 and 132). The positive action of the irradiation method includes the fact that the irradiation method can cause the formation of reactive species, such as the free radicals, which can cause the formation of the covalent bonds between the amino acids in the meat protein molecules (163,164,165,166,167,168,169 and 170). The cross linking can change the structure of a meat protein molecule and make it resistant to enzymatic meat digestion, which causes a decrease in the meat protein digestibility (55,56,57,58,59 and 60). The Irradiation method can cause the denaturation of the meat protein molecules. The Denaturation involves opening the meat protein structure, which can facilitate the interactions between the amino acids and increase the accessibility of the digestive enzymes to meat protein molecules, and it can improve the meat protein digestibility (133,134,135,136,137 and 138). The irradiation method can cause adverse action; namely, the excessive irradiation method can cause a breakdown of or changes in the amino acid compounds in the meat protein molecules which cause a decrease in the overall amino acid content and consequently decrease the meat protein digestibility. The electron beam irradiation method at less than 3 kGy did not affect changes in the meat quality of the smoked duck flesh (the amino acids, the fatty acids, and the volatiles) during the storage (61,62,63,64,65 and 66). The chemical changes, the irradiation method affects the vitamin content of the beef meat products, with some vitamins being more sensitive than others. For example, the irradiation method leads to a loss of the vitamin C, while other vitamins, such as the vitamin A and E, are relatively stable. The Irradiation method alter the beef meat oxidation–reduction ability, accelerating the lipid oxidation, the meat protein breakdown, and the flavor and the odor changes (67,68,69,70,71 and 72). When combined with certain antioxidants, such as the flavonoids, the irradiation method can help prolong the induction period of the lipid oxidation., storing the irradiated beef meat at 5–10 C for one week almost did not change the pH, the texture, the total volatile base nitrogen (TVBN), or the microbe number (145,146,147,148,149 and 150). A higher dose of the UV irradiation method increased two thiobarbituric acid (TBA) content, decreased the water holding capacity (WHC), and the decreased the beef meat color intensity and the tenderness (139,140,141,142,143 and 144). The 2.5 and 5 kGy gamma irradiation method reduced the nitrite content in the chicken sausages and prevented the oxidation when combined with the antioxidants. The titratable acidity and the acid value in the beef meat can be reduced by the irradiation method (73,74,75,76,77 and 78). The beef meat contamination may occur at the production, the processing, or the distribution stage, including on the farm, during the transport, in the slaughterhouses or the processing facilities, and in the retail outlets or at the home (151,152,153,154,155 and 156).

Conclusion:

The Improper handling and the storage of the beef meat products can increase the risk of the beef meat contamination. The meat borne diseases outbreaks related to the beef have been reported globally and its effect on the social meat quality, with the various types of the meat products types being implicated, including the ground beef meat products types, the chicken meat products types, the pork meat products types, and the processed beef meat products types.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.