§16§The study was conducted to make goat meat safe for consumption by eliminating microbes that are pathogenic when ingested. For this purpose, goat meat was radiated at the doses of 0.5 kGy, 1 kGy and 1.5 kGy with Co60 radiation. Microbial load of meat was examined which included total viable count, coliform count, Staphylococcus count, hemolytic bacterial count and yeast and mold count. Moreover, these microbes were also checked for the endospore count, acid resistance at pH 2 and pH 3 and antibiotic resistance for ampicillin, gentamycin and vancomycin. Gamma radiation dose of 1.5 kGy was proved effective in minimizing the amount of total viable count to a level safe for human consumption. Total coliforms, staphylococcus and yeast and mold were also eliminated. It also reduced the amount of antibiotic resistant and acid resistant bacteria. Hence, a gamma radiation dose of 1.5 kGy is highly recommended to make meat safe for human consumption.
