Abstract
The present study aims to evaluate the uniformity of the high intensity ultrasound (US) effects on the quality of beef longissimus dorsi. For this purpose L. dorsi muscles from Hereford carcasses were cut into 2.54 cm thick slices. Each sample was marked into concentric areas of 2 cm wide. Ultrasound (37 kHz and 7 W/cm2) treatment was performed for 60 min using an ultrasonic bath and treated meat was stored at 4 °C for 0 and 7 days. pH values decreased after 7 days of aging at 4 °C with and without ultrasound application (P < 0.0001). The color parameters a* and b* and WHC increased significantly in the sonicated samples after 7 d of storage at 4 °C (P < 0.0001). No differences by US (P = 0.6711) and storage time (P = 0.4184) were found. Therefore, ultrasonic intensity was homogeneously distributed in the samples and had no negative effects on the quality of the meat. A reduction (P < 0.0001) in psychrophilic and coliform (P < 0.0001) bacteria was observed by US, while mesophilic bacteria increased (P < 0.0001) by US. US could be considered as an efficient technology to be used in beef to improve meat quality and safety.
Highlights
The treatment of food with ultrasound (US) induces the phenomenon of acoustic cavitation, wherein microbubbles are generated in a liquid medium
The results reported by several researchers on the effect of high-power US on the growth of mesophilic bacteria are variable
We found a significant difference in psychrophilic bacteria (Figure 7) between US-treated and control samples (P < 0.0001), storage time (P < 0.0001), and interaction of US with storage time (P < 0.0015)
Summary
The treatment of food with ultrasound (US) induces the phenomenon of acoustic cavitation, wherein microbubbles are generated in a liquid medium. Upon reaching their critical size, the bubbles implode, resulting in the release of accumulated energy that causes instantaneous and focal temperature increases. Low-frequency (18-100 kHz, λ = 145 mm) and high intensity (10-1000 W/cm2) US waves exert physical, mechanical, and chemical effects, which are capable of permeating the cell membrane and inducing structural and physicochemical changes and accelerating chemical reactions (Alarcón-Rojo et al, 2015). A few studies have highlighted its positive effects on the conservation of nutritional and organoleptic properties of meat products (Ünver, 2016) and microstructural changes to the myofibrils in beef (Stadnik et al, 2008; Ünver, 2016) that may have beneficial tenderizing actions (Alarcón-Rojo et al, 2015)
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