In recent years, consumption of cooked and semi-cooked foods with functional properties, has attracted people?s attention. But the main problem of these foods, is their short shelf-life due to fast spoilage, so the production of these foods with long shelf life and functional properties is important. Aloe vera with functional, antioxidant and antimicrobial properties can be used as a natural biopreservative in this regard. In this research, for the first time, Aloe vera?s gel powder, was used on chicken nugget batter and semi-cooked nugget to increase their shelf life. At first, the sterilization procedure of this powder was examined using UV ray and outoclave treatment. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of Aloe vera?s gel powder of salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli O157:H7 in in vitro wa then determined. Then the effect of 0, 1.5, 2.5 and 3.5% concentration of Aloe vera?s gel powder on total microbial count and coliforms in chicken nugget batter at 4 , during 6 days, and in semi-cooked nugget at 4 , during 21 days, was determined. Results showed that in nugget batter, all different Aloe vera concentration,reduced the microbial count to the standard level for 4 days, in comparison with the control sample. Organoleptic properties of the above nugget samples manufactured using different concentration of Aloe vera?s gel powder, was accepted by panelists. Aloe vera?s 2.5 and 3.5% concentration in nugget, kept microbial count in stsndard range up to 14days, while the microbial count of the control samples, was in standard range in less than 7 days. Finally, it could be said that consumption of 2.5 and 3.5% of Aloe vera?s gel powder in nugget formulation, can increase its shelf life up to 14 days at refrigerator condition, without freezing requirement of the product and spending additional fee, for this purpose. Considering the useful properties of Aloe vera, and consumer acceptance of the Aloe vera added nuggets, there is a possibility to use this compound as a biopreservative in industry.
