Quality of Irradiated Plain Yogurt during Storage at Different Temperatures

To develop a safer yogurt for immuno-compromised or allergy patients and to extend shelf-life, a plain yogurt was irradiated with doses of 0, 1, 3, 5, and 10 kGy using a gamma ray and the chemical and microbiological quality and allergenicity change were investigated. There was no difference in the content of protein, total solid, and amino acids of the plain yogurt by irradiation treatment and different storage temperatures (4, 20, and $35^{\circ}C$). The lactic acid bacterial counts of irradiated plain yogurt had approximately 3-decimal reduction at 3 kGy, and no viable cell at 10 kGy regardless of storage time and temperature. The binding ability of rabbit antiserum to milk proteins in irradiated plain yogurt showed that 10 kGy of irradiation produced significantly higher binding ability than other treatments. Sensory evaluation indicated that only appearance of the plain yogurt irradiated at 3 kGy or higher had a lower value than the non-irradiated control when stored at $20^{\circ}C$. Results suggest that irradiation of plain yogurt does not significantly affect the chemical and sensory quality of plain yogurt, but can extend the shelf-life, possibly reduce allergenicity, and provide a safer product.