Ultrasound effect on salt reduction in meat products: a review

Abstract

Health concerns have motivated salt reduction on diverse foods. Salt in processed meat usually reach high levels, and its reduction is not an easy task, due to its preservative action and expected sensory characteristics in them. Meat industry is looking for alternative solutions for both salt reduction and replacement. The curing time needed to reach the required salt content in meat products can be reduced by the application of ultrasound. Ultrasound technology has been applied for brining, marinating, tumbling, and cooking, with promising results as a useful strategy to reduce the salt content in meat products, such as dry-cured ham, bacon and chicken breast. However, ultrasound parameters should be optimized for each meat product, because structure and composition are diverse among products and the US effects be different. The purpose of this review is to highlight and summarize recent studies on ultrasound application to obtain low salt meat products.