99E-3 |
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J. G. GANDOLPH1, J. R. Burgess2, M. H. Perchonok3, B. A. Watkins1, and L. J. Mauer1. (1) Dept. of Food Science, Purdue Univ., 745 Agriculture Mall Dr., West Lafayette, IN 47907-2009, (2) Dept. of Foods & Nutrition, Purdue Univ., 1264 Stone Hall, West Lafayette, IN 47907-1264, (3) National Space Biomedical Research Instititute, NASA-Johnson Space Center, 2101 NASA Rd. 1, Mail Code SF3, Houston, TX 77058 As NASA advances into the future of space travel the development of a safe, nutritious, palatable food system with a 5 year shelf life is essential to support the survival and well being of the astronauts. On a manned mission to Mars, radiation is an unavoidable hazard. Radiation poses a threat not only to human health but also to the quality of the food, in particular lipids. Autoxidation caused by free radicals, changes the taste, smell, and nutritional profile of lipids; however, little is known about the effects of space-relevant radiation doses combined with extended storage times on lipids. The objectives of this work were to: 1) quantify the effect of space-relevant radiation doses on lipid oxidation and fatty acid composition in soybean, peanut, and menhaden oils, and lard, chicken fat and anhydrous milkfat, and 2) to identify radiation threshold levels at which degradative effects can be quantified in these lipids. Samples were subjected to a range of γ-radiation exposure levels (0.5-5 Gy) and storage times (up to 3 months). The 2-thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test was used to monitor lipid oxidation and Gas Chromatography (GC) was used to measure fatty acid composition. As expected, with increased radiation dose and storage time, an increase in lipid oxidation and a change in unsaturated fatty acid composition was found. This work establishes a proof of concept for quantifying effects of space relevant radiation doses on lipids which is important for the development of a food system for a mission to Mars, in which the human effort may last up to 3 years. This data will allow for future work in the protection and development of the food system.
Session 99E, Nonthermal Processing: General II
2005 IFT Annual Meeting, July 15-20 - New Orleans, Louisiana |