The use of power ultrasound for accelerating the curing of pork

• Power ultrasound can accelerate water and NaCl migration in meat.
• Power ultrasound has minimal effect on meat quality.
• Quantification of acoustic energy is necessary for comparison of ultrasonic studies.

Power ultrasound (10, 25 or 40 min at US intensities of 4.2, 11 or 19 W cm− 2) was assessed for accelerating brine transfer into meat. Sample analysis included NaCl content, water content, water-binding capacity, colour and texture. Water content (g/100 g) was increased by 19 W cm− 2 for 10 or 25 min (p ≤ 0.05). NaCl content (g/100 g) was increased by all ultrasonic treatments (p ≤ 0.001). Decreased cohesiveness (p ≤ 0.05) and gumminess (p ≤ 0.05) were evident in sonicated samples. Ultrasonic curing can assist brine transfer, reducing processing times with minimal impact on product quality.