FT-IR spectral features of DNA as markers for the detection of liver preservation using irradiation

Food preservation, inhibition of foodborne-pathogenic microorganisms, as well as prolonging the shelf life of food products are all achieved through the application of irradiation technology in food preservation. In terms of food safety and for strengthening worldwide trade of irradiated foods, the presence of a trustworthy method for identification of irradiated foodstuff is currently the focus of attention. Since DNA has a documented high sensitivity to ionizing radiation, this work introduces a method for the detection of gamma-irradiated (3 kGy) calf liver through measurements of Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra of their extracted DNA. Results show characteristic FT-IR bands that yield significant differences between irradiated and control calf liver samples. The guanine nucleoside band at 1491 cm(-1) provides the most significant characterization.