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Higher irradiation doses increase trans-fatty acids 14 Apr 2009

In the March Journal of Food Science published by the Institute of Food Technologists, a study suggested that irradiation at higher doses caused a small but statistically major increase in artery-clogging trans-fatty acids in ground beef and frankfurters.
The study
According to reports,ground beef and frankfurter samples were irradiated during the study at three different doses. Ground beef was stored for seven days and frankfurters were stored for three months.
 
Following the irradiation and storage, results show while the low-dose irradiation did not induce any change in trans-fatty acid content, the increased irradiation caused a small but statistically significant increase in the dominant trans-fatty acid.
 
"Compared to variations in trans-fatty acid content occurring naturally in meat and meat products, the increases due to irradiation were negligible," stated Xuetong Fan, lead researcher.
 
The study was sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture Eastern Regional Research Center in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania, and the USDA Quality Assessment Research Unit in Athens, Georgia.
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