Differentiation between Irradiated and Non-Irradiated Dates Using Color Intensity and Viscosity Value Method

Abstract

New method has been applied recently in our Laboratories to distinguish between irradiated and non-irradiated dates. The method depends on the measurement of color intensity and viscosity values for dates sugar water extracts for five different stages of treatments. Doses of (0 .5, 0.75, 1.00 and 1.5 kGy) were applied. A considerable increase and decrease of irradiated and non-irradiated dates in color intensity and viscosity values were found between the stages; the results obtained showed that there is a significant increase and decrease in the values of irradiated dates Samples at stages 3, 4 and 5 as compared to non-irradiated Samples (control). At stage 3 the results showed a drop in color intensity of the solution sample from 8701 (control) to 1009 at dose of 1.00 kGy, the results also showed an increase in color intensity (Stage 4) from 2046 (control) to 2712 as the doses increased from 0.50 to 1.50 (kGy), while the results of the viscosity at stage 5 showed a significant increase from 5.605 (Control) to 7.914 as the doses increased from 0.50 to 1.50 (KGy).The method appears to be promising to discriminate irradiated from non-irradiated dates. Further developments are needed for this method to increase its accuracy and reliability in measuring the actual dose used in the treatment.

Keywords

• irradiation
• dates
• identification
• preservation