Ultrasonic vacuum drying technique as a novel process for shortening the drying period for beef and chicken meats

• Ultrasonic vacuum (USV) drying method was improved as a novel drying technique.
• Combination of ultrasound and vacuum shortened the drying period for beef and chicken.
• Obtained drying data were fitted to 10 different models and their accuracy was compared based on R2, χ2 and RMSE values.
• USV technique could be used to improve efficiency of the vacuum drying.

In the present study, a novel drying technique using a combination of ultrasound and vacuum dehydration was developed to shorten the time for the drying of beef and chicken meats. The meats were dried using three different techniques, namely ultrasonic vacuum (USV) drying, vacuum drying and oven drying at 55, 65 and 75 °C. The meats dried faster with USV than with the vacuum and oven drying techniques. The drying time for the USV, vacuum and oven drying techniques at 75 °C was determined as 300, 480 and 750 min for beef and 330, 570 and 780 min for chicken, respectively. The drying rate was significantly influenced by the drying techniques and temperatures. The lowest energy consumption was determined in the USV technique. The drying data were successfully fitted to 10 models (R2: 0.9140–0.9991). According to the results, the USV drying technique shortened the drying period of beef and chicken.Industrial relevanceBeef and chicken meats dried faster with the USV drying method than with the vacuum and oven drying techniques. The novel drying technique could be used to improve efficiency of the vacuum drying technique. Combination of ultrasound and vacuum treatment consumed lower energy compared with oven and vacuum drying.