Ultrasound: A food processing and preservation aid

Abstract

Ultrasound is a form of green technology that has diverse applications in food processing, preservation and quality control. It is an emerging technology that modifies various properties of food products. The principle phenomenon behind ultrasound is cavitation and mass transfer. High frequency ultrasound is used to monitor the composition of food whereas low frequency ultrasound induces physical and chemical/biochemical changes in food. The technology employs a non-invasive technique to estimate the composition of food. Various frequencies of ultrasound can be significantly utilized to modify physiochemical properties of food during freezing and crystallization, defrosting/thawing, drying, meat tenderization, pickling and emulsification/homogenization. The technique is also useful in extraction of bioactive components, sterilization, defoaming, depolymerization and inactivating enzymes. Ultrasound minimally affects the quality of food products and is an inexpensive technology with the only limitation to certain foods which contain small air bubbles.