The effect of gamma-irradiation on the quality of chives was evaluated. The samples were irradiated at 1.0 and 2.0 kGy, stored at 4 degrees C for 10 days and used for microbiological (aerobic mesophilic, moulds and yeasts, E. coli and Salmonella sp), biochemical (vitamin C and lipoperoxide (MDA) contents and superoxide dismutase (SOD) and guaiacol peroxidase (POX) activity) and sensorial evaluation. For irradiated samples, the total counts of aerobic mesophilic and moulds and yeasts showed a reduction of 6 log cycles during storage, and colour analysis showed no significant difference (P > 0.05) for the b*-value. The contents of vitamin C were not significantly affected by irradiation and storage time. The MDA contents and SOD activity changed insignificantly at both gamma-irradiation levels after storage, while POX was significantly increased (P = 0.05) at 1 kGy. Samples irradiated at 2.0 kGy presented sensorial acceptance after the storage. These results show that gamma-irradiation increases the shelf life of chives without significant changes in their quality.