Mercy Chebwogen^1,, Kallen Mulilo Nalyanya¹, Tabitha A. Amollo¹, Benson M. Githaiga²

Hides and skins are valuable by-products of meat industry that are processed into a stable material that resists bacterial attack and chemical degradation. Temporary preservation of raw hides against microbial attack and bacterial decontamination is done using salt and bactericide which poses a major challenge of environmental pollution. Nevertheless, microbial and bacterial growth is not fully inhibited even after using these chemicals. Bacillus type of bacteria majorly found in raw hides and soaking baths can survive in sodium chloride-cured hides in the form of spores thus causing degradation. The control sample, bactericide-treated samples, and irradiated samples were evaluated for microbial analyses and showed variation in microbial load. Bactericide-tread hide ensured microbial load reduction of 2-3 times to a concentration between 4.7×105 CFU/g and 7.5×105 CFU/g compared to the control hide. Samples irradiated at 10 kGy displayed a microbial reduction of 531-866 times to a concentration of 5.30×102 CFU/g and 1.41×103 CFU/g. At irradiation doses of 40 and 50 kGy, the samples were found to be sterile. The use of gamma radiation for the preservation of hides and skins, therefore, can be used as an alternative and eco-friendly approach in the beam house.

Gamma radiation, bactericide, microbial and bacterial load, colony forming unit (CFU)