Hurdle technology using ultrasound for food preservation

Abstract

Nowadays, it is a well-known fact that ultrasound applied alone, at room temperature and atmospheric pressure, is not very effective for inactivating microorganisms. The combination of this contemporary technology with other preservation factors and the selection of operative conditions that enhance the per se effect of high-power sonication shows considerable promise. This chapter provides a summary of previous and recent published findings concerning the efficacy of ultrasound technology combined with other traditional and emerging stressors, applied to a wide variety of beverages and food products. It is concluded that much progress has been achieved in this field in the past 15 years. These achievements paved the way for future industrial-scale applications involving ultrasound combined with other technologies in the preservation of foods. The use, mechanisms, and effects of ultrasound-based combined technologies are also discussed in this chapter.