Detection of damage using ESR method to irradiated wheat flour

Ukai, Mitsuko*; Matsuura, Masaaki*; Ogawa, Satoko*; Kume, Tamikazu; Kikuchi, Masahiro; Sakashita, Tetsuya; Funayama, Tomoo; Kobayashi, Yasuhiko

Irradiation of food is a non-thermal treatment and a method of cold pasteurization. This pasteurization technique retains the quality of foods as prepared and harvested. Recently, the use of this sterilization technology by irradiation through various electromagnetic waves or rays of elementary particles is gaining wide applications. Electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy has been applied for the evaluation of irradiation on the wide variety of foods. We have reported on a new ESR protocol for the analysis for irradiated foods. In the present study, we will report on the radiation-induced radicals containing in wheat flour using ESR spectroscopy. We shall describe new radical species in the irradiated wheat flour by comparison with non-irradiated wheat flour.