Unravelling the impact of high-intensity ultrasound on the water mobility of meat products by LF-NMR

Abstract

High-intensity ultrasound (HIUS) is a green, cost-effective, and safe non-thermal technology that has been widely studied for the processing of meat and meat products, including brining, freezing, thawing, and cooking. It's based on acoustic waves applied through a liquid medium that generates cavitation bubbles, which implode, causing thermal, mechanical, and chemical damage to the food matrix. Given that the muscle is composed mainly of water, it's expected that HIUS can modify the water distribution in meat. This review aims to evaluate the effects of high-intensity ultrasound (HIUS) on water mobility in meat products using low-field NMR (LF-NMR) technology. To this end, articles that applied HIUS directly to the meat matrix and used LF-NMR technology to assess changes in water distribution and mobility were considered. Following a systematic search in the Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases, 57 articles were selected after screening, and 7 were added manually, totaling 64 articles. The results were divided based on the process evaluated in each article, which includes the application of HIUS. Thus, the following processes were evaluated: curing, freezing, thawing, heating, fermentation, bacterial inactivation, and quality improvement (HIUS only). The results demonstrated that the effects of HIUS on water retention depend mainly on operational parameters, such as time, power, and frequency, and can also be influenced by the nature of the matrix, the equipment, the process itself, and the application method. Furthermore, the possibilities of applying HIUS to meat products and their challenges were also discussed.