The tests were conducted in the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition’s sensory evaluation laboratory, which includes seven panelist booths, controlled lighting, and computers equipped with Sensory Information

Systems (SIMS version 6.0 software for data collection). For the triangle test, randomized three digit numbers were used to label X-ray treated and control almond and walnut samples. The control sample was the odd sample in half of the tests, and the treated sample was the odd sample in the other half. After being instructed on GSK1210151A in vitro how to evaluate the samples using an example tray and test demonstration, panelists were asked to pick the sample that differed from the other two in the almond check details triangle test. Panelists then were presented the walnut samples using the same protocol. If panelists could detect an overall difference between the control and test sample, an acceptance test would determine if this difference significantly affected consumer acceptability. Based on the triangle tests results, an acceptance test was run for the walnut control and irradiated samples to evaluate appearance, aroma, flavor, texture, and overall acceptability. The same dose that was used

for the difference test was applied to the nuts, and the acceptance test was conducted with 75 nut consumers. A nine point hedonic scale was used with 9 = “like extremely,” “8 = like very much,” “7 = like moderately,” 6 = like slightly, “5 = neither like nor dislike,” “4 = dislike slightly,” “3 = dislike moderately,” “2 = dislike very much,” “1 = dislike extremely. To investigate the fate of Salmonella during long-term storage, nuts were inoculated, irradiated, and held at 4 °C/70%RH. Almonds and walnuts were inoculated with SE PT30 and conditioned at 0.2 and 0.7 aw. Thereafter, the inoculated

samples were bagged inside the conditioning chamber to maintain the established aw and irradiated at doses of 1.13 (almond; SE PT30; 0.2 aw), 2.37 (walnut; SE PT30; 0.2 aw), 2.28 Adenosine (almond; SE PT30; 0.7 aw), 4.32 (walnut; SE PT30; 0.7 aw), 2.28 (almond; S. Tenn.; 0.7 aw), and 4.32 (walnut; S. Tenn.; 0.7 aw) kGy to achieve ~ 5 log reductions (not the presence/absence test) at the corresponding aw values. Therefore, plate counts were always positive and there was no need of enrichment process. The bags of SE PT30 inoculated nuts were opened and placed in a refrigerator at 4 °C/~70%RH for 7 days to equilibrate with the storage conditions. Thereafter, the bags were closed to prevent any further contamination and returned to storage for up to 120 days. In contrast, the bags of S. Tennessee-inoculated nuts were previously conditioned to 0.7 aw and consequently remained closed during storage. Three bags each of the irradiated and control nuts were randomly selected after 1, 30, 60, 90, and 120 days of storage and quantitatively examined for Salmonella as previously described.