Effects of electron beam irradiation on sterilization and aroma components of three spices

The effects of electron beam irradiation on the germicidal effects of aniseed, cinnamon and zanthoxylum and their aroma components were investigated.The results showed that electron beam irradiation of 0¹5 k Gy dose had good bactericidal effects and prolonged the storage time, and had no negative effect on aroma and taste on the three spices.The optimum dosages for Chinese anise, cinnamon and zanthoxylum were 6, 6, 9 k Gy, respectively, based on the test results from head space solid phase micro-extraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.