Red beet (Early Wonder) was cultivated in an experimental area of the Department of Fitotecnia at the Institute of Agronomy at the Rural Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ). After harvest, the roots were minimally processed; packed; exposed to different doses of gamma radiation (0; 0.5; 1.0 and 1.5 kGy) and stored for 20 days at 8.0 ºC. Sensory evaluations were performed 1; 9; 13 and 20 days after irradiation by 12 testers who rated the overall appearance and aroma on a hedonic scale. The results indicated that the irradiated samples remained within the limit of acceptance for 20 days. In addition, the aroma was found to be a more sensitive indicator of the effect of different doses of radiation to the acceptance of the product.
minimum processing; food irradiation; shelf-life extension; sensory quality; aroma
