REDUCTION OF MICROFLORA AND FREQUENCY OF SPROUTING IN GAMMA IRRADIATED POTATOES

Abstract

The potato (Solanum tuberosum) is an important food crop, grown largely as a carbohydrate staple and also for industrial purposes. Of the various physiological factors which affect potato storage, sprouting is the most obvious manifestation of deterioration. In the present study potatoes were irradiated at 0.05, 0.10, 0.15 kGy to inhibit sprouting and evaluate microflora. The experimental and control group of potatoes were analyzed for the microbial load and growth of sprouts. The remarkable reduction in bioburden was noted when potatoes were subjected to 0.15kGy irradiation. The irradiated potatoes showed less viable microbial count than the nonradiated ones even after three weeks of irradiation. This study indicated that higher irradiation levels proved to be most effective in retarding the sprouting of potatoes stored at ambient conditions and enhancing the shelf life up to 14 days.