Ultrasonic Waves: Inactivation of Foodborne Microorganisms Using Power Ultrasound

The growing consumer demand for higher quality and safe food products have led to increased interest in alternative environmental-friendly techniques. Ultrasound processing is an emerging non-thermal decontamination technology which has been widely demonstrated for a range of food matrices. Its performance depends on various extrinsic and intrinsic control parameters, including type of apparatus, frequency, treatment time and temperature, and the target product such as food composition and type of microorganisms. The use of sonication combined to heat (thermosonication), and/or pressure (manothermosonication or manosonication) has been reported, and such application of hurdle technologies has shown greater inactivation rate. The present contribution reviews the applications of ultrasound in liquid and solid food systems and details the proposed inactivation mechanism associated with ultrasound, namely cavitation, and its physical and chemical effects on microorganisms.