Studies on the nutritional value of foods treated with γ‐radiation. I.—Effects on some B‐complex vitamins in egg and wheat

By use of microbiological methods of assay, the effect of γ‐radiation at doses of 0·5 Mrad and 5·0 Mrad on the content of some B‐complex vitamins in frozen whole egg has been studied. For comparative purposes, analyses were also performed on egg treated by a heat‐pasteurisation process designed to eliminate salmonellae food‐poisoning organisms. No change was apparent in pantothenic acid, biotin and riboflavin after any of the treatments. A 24% loss of thiamine occurred at 0·5 Mrad and this was increased to 61% at 5·0 Mrads. Similar analyses were made on Manitoba wheat irradiated at 0·02 Mrad, which is approximately the dose required for grain disinfestation, and also at ten times this dose. No apparent change was observed in the contents of nicotinic acid, thiamine, riboflavin, biotin and total vitamin B 6 after irradiation at 0·02 Mrad; pantothenic acid showed a slight loss at this dose. At 0·2 Mrad a loss of 12% nicotinic acid, 11% pantothenic acid and 10% biotin occurred.