High intensity ultrasound (HIU) offers an alternative to traditional methods of food preservation, and is regarded as a green and promising emerging technology. Ultrasound generates acoustic cavitation in a liquid medium, developing physical forces that are considered the main mechanism responsible for changes in exposed materials. In meat, ultrasound has been successfully used to improve processes such as mass transfer and marination, tenderization of meat and inactivation of microorganisms. It is also an alternative to traditional meat ageing methods for improving the quality properties of meat. Moreover, the combination of ultrasonic energy with a sanitizing agent can improve the effect of microbial reduction in foods. This review describes recent potential applications of ultrasound in meat systems, as well as physical and chemical effects of ultrasound treatment on the conservation and modification of processed meat foods. Finally, the ultrasound application parameters must be deep explored and established before the method can be scaled to industrial levels.

Milk and dairy products have a major role in human nutrition, as they contribute essential nutrients for child development. The nutritional properties of dairy products are maintained despite applying traditional processing techniques. Nowadays, so-called emerging technologies have also been implemented for food manufacture and preservation purposes. Low- and high-intensity ultrasounds are among these technologies. Low-intensity ultrasounds have been used to determine, analyze and characterize the physical characteristics of foods, while high-intensity ultrasounds are applied to accelerate particular biological, physical and chemical processes during food product handling and transformation. The objective of this review is to explain the phenomenology of ultrasounds and to detail the differences between low and high-intensity ultrasounds, as well as to present the advantages and disadvantages of each one in terms of the processing, quality and preservation of milk and dairy products. Additionally, it reviews the rheological, physicochemical and microbiological applications in dairy products, such as raw milk, cream, yogurt, butter, ice cream and cheese. Finally, it explains some methodologies for the generation of emulsions, homogenates, crystallization, etc. Currently, low and high-intensity ultrasounds are an active field of study, and they might be promising tools in the dairy industry.

This review describes the mechanism, operation, and recent potential applications of ultrasound in various food systems, as well as the physical and chemical effects of ultrasound treatments on the conservation and modification of different groups of food. Acoustic energy has been recognized as an emerging technology with great potential for applications in the food industry. The phenomenon of acoustic cavitation, which modifies the physical, chemical, and functional properties of food, can be used to improve existing processes and to develop new ones. The combination of ultrasonic energy with a sanitizing agent can improve the effect of microbial reduction in foods and, thereby, their quality. Finally, it is concluded that the use of ultrasound in food is a very promising area of research; however, more research is still needed before applying this technology in a wider range of industrial sectors.

In this study, the effects of ultrasound- (US-) assisted beef marination on consumer perception and the homogeneity of the solute and mass transfer were evaluated. Marinated and US-treated meat samples (40 kHz, 11 W/cm² for 20, 40, and 60 min, and storing at 4°C for 7 d) were evaluated by a group of consumers using a structured 9-point hedonic scale of satisfaction. The preferences were analyzed with XLSTAT-Sensory® software. The analysis was performed in conjunction with an energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopic study to evaluate the sodium transference. The perception analysis indicated that the use of US-assisted marination did not increase the beef acceptability. The sonicated samples showed a more homogeneous distribution of sodium. However, traditional marination (TM) stored for 7 d resulted in greater mass transfer than the US-assisted marination without storage.

High-intensity ultrasound has been reported as a novel technology applied to improve tenderness in beef, pork, lamb and poultry. Its potential benefit has been studied mostly in individual muscles. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of high-intensity ultrasound (HIU, 24 kHz, 12 W/cm² for 15 min) on quality traits of whole rabbit carcases. Twenty rabbit carcases were longitudinally split into two sides along the vertebral column. One side of the carcase was kept as Control and the opposed was vacuum packed and ultrasonicated with a probe Hielscher® UP400St. After treatment and 7 d (2 °C) in vacuum packs, m. L. dorsi (LD), Semimembranosus and Semitendinosus were dissected from the carcases to evaluate water holding capacity (WHC), shear force, pH, and colour (L*, a* and b*). Promising results were observed in LD after ultrasonication. LD shear force was reduced (p < .05) from 13.04 to 11.18 N (control vs. sonicated, respectively). The colour was also modified (p < .05), increasing L* from 46.70 to 48.30 units and increasing b* from 4.70 to 6.10 units (control vs. sonicated, respectively). WHC, was reduced (p < .05) by HIU only in loin. The pH, and a* from LD were not modified by ultrasonication (p > .05). In conclusion, HIU applied to rabbit carcases positively influenced LD characteristics, but no changes were observed in leg muscles under this study conditions. The data suggest that the effect of the HIU treatment on the whole carcase may differ according to the muscles.