Acoustic intensity in ultrasound field and ultrasound-assisted gelling of surimi

•The effect of ultrasound parameters of surimi on acoustic intensity was studied.•The effect of container materials of surimi on acoustic intensity was studied.•Ultrasound can improve the gel strength of surimi.•The effect of ultrasound on secondary structures of myofibrillar protein was investigated.

The effects of ultrasound parameters, and of the container materials used for surimi, on acoustic intensity were investigated. The frequency of ultrasound significantly affected the acoustic intensity. However, the relationship between the acoustic intensity and the frequency of the ultrasound device was not linear. The acoustic intensity increased as the height of the media increased. In addition, the acoustic intensity increased initially, but then decreased, as the volume of the media increased. Two container materials were tested: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) film and an aluminum box. The acoustic intensity was decreased significantly by the use of either material. The barrier effect of the aluminum box was weaker than that of the PVC film at lower frequencies, whereas the barrier effect of the PVC film was weaker than that of the aluminum box at higher frequencies. The gel strength of surimi increased with as the acoustic intensity increased when the latter was above a certain level. Changes in the secondary structure of myofibrillar protein were found to cause the increase in the gel strength.