Ultrasonic velocity measurements in ethanol–water and methanol–water mixtures

In this study, ultrasonic velocity measurements were used to estimate the alcohol type and volume concentration in water–alcohol binary mixtures. Varying mixtures of ethanol in water and methanol in water were prepared and the ultrasonic velocities for each concentration level were measured between 10 and 50 °C. Results of the statistical analyses indicated that ultrasonic velocity measurements can be used to distinguish between ethanol and methanol in a water–alcohol binary mixture and to estimate the alcohol concentration level. The results were validated by testing three commercial liquids with a known ethanol concentrations and one commercial liquid with known methanol concentration.     

Ultrasonic cutting of foods: Effects of excitation magnitude and cutting velocity on the reduction of cutting work

The effects of vertical cutting velocity and the magnitude of ultrasonic excitation on the reduction of the work necessary to separate various food materials were investigated. Generally, cutting work increased with increasing cutting velocity but, at each particular cutting velocity, decreased with increasing magnitude of the ultrasonic excitation of the cutting tool. Interactions between cutting velocity and the maximum vibration speed at the cutting edge, which is determined by both excitation amplitude and excitation frequency, are significant. Depending on the food under action, the relative amount of cutting work reduction is either affected by the maximum vibration speed or, additionally, by vertical cutting velocity. No distinct effects of the excitation frequency (20 or 40 kHz) were observed.

Industrial relevance

Ultrasonic cutting is used in the food industry, especially for the separation of products consisting of layers with different rheological properties to achieve minimally damaged cut surfaces. The results of the study may be useful for selecting operational variables (cutting velocity, excitation amplitude) during cutting to achieve a controlled reduction of the cutting work.     

Ultrasonic assessment of fresh cheese composition

Fresh cheese composition was assessed by measuring ultrasonic velocity in cheese and cheese blends at different temperatures. Twenty types of commercial, fresh cheeses with fat contents ranging from 0.2% to 17.6% w.b. were analyzed. Ultrasonic velocity was not only heavily dependent on the composition of the cheese but also on its structure. Based on the different effect temperature has on velocity in water and fat, a semi-empirical model was used to estimate the cheese composition from velocity measurements at six temperatures ranging from 3 to 29 °C. The model provided good results for the assessment of the fat (R² = 0.984/0.996; RMSE = 4.6/1.1 for whole and blended cheese, respectively) and water (R² = 0.964/0.995; RMSE = 6.5/0.7 for whole and blended cheese, respectively) content. The ultrasonic measurements could be carried out during the cooling process that takes place after curdling and used as a quality control tool to detect process anomalies in-line.     

Thermal expansion coefficient and specific heat capacity from sound velocity measurements in tomato paste from 0.1 up to 350 MPa and as a function of temperature

The thermodynamic properties of food as a function of pressure and temperature are essential for modeling high-pressure processes. Sound velocity measurements in liquids at high pressure conditions are particularly interesting because they allow for deriving other properties such as the specific heat capacity or thermal expansion coefficient which are difficult to measure. By other means, in this work, the sound velocity was measured in tomato paste at high pressures with a purposed designed acoustic cell. The measurements were made in a wide range of pressures and temperatures from 0.1 to 350 MPa and from 0 to 50 °C, respectively. The sound velocity was directly measured with an accuracy of 0.1% using the transmission technique with piezoelectrics operating at 2 MHz. Thereafter, the isentropic compressibility coefficient of tomato paste was calculated from experimental data. Specific heat capacity and thermal expansion coefficient were also obtained through a software algorithm.     

Impact of cosolvents (polyols) on globular protein functionality: Ultrasonic velocity, density, surface tension and solubility study

The objective of this study was to understand how cosolvents influence the molecular and functional properties of globular proteins in aqueous solutions. The ultrasonic velocity, density and adiabatic compressibility of cosolvent solutions (0–50 wt% sorbitol or glycerol) were measured in the absence and presence of a globular protein (1 wt% β-lactoglobulin) at 30 °C. These measurements were used to calculate the partial specific apparent volume and adiabatic compressibility of the protein. The protein's volume decreased and its compressibility increased in the presence of high cosolvent concentrations, which were attributed to changes in the properties of the protein interior and solvation layer. Sorbitol was more effective than glycerol at decreasing the protein volume at high cosolvent concentrations, which may be because glycerol has some surface activity and may therefore accumulate around hydrophobic regions on the protein surface. Our data were used to account for the observation that sorbitol is more effective than glycerol at increasing the thermal stability and self-association of the β-lactoglobulin. A better understanding of the influence of protein–cosolvent–solvent interactions on the functionality of globular proteins may facilitate the design of protein-based products.     

Ultrasonic characterization of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus)

The influence of frequency (1–6 MHz), temperature (5–25°C) and composition on the ultrasonic velocity and attenuation coefficient of Atlantic mackerel (Scomber scombrus) was investigated. The ultrasonic velocity was insensitive to frequency, whereas the attenuation coefficient increased with frequency. The fat, water and solids-non-fat content of mackerel tissue was determined by analyzing the temperature dependence of the ultrasonic velocity in the tissue using a semi-empirical equation. There was good agreement between the fat, water and solids-non-fat content determined by ultrasonic velocity and proximate analysis methods. In particular, there was a high correlation between the two methods for the determination of fat content (r²=0.949). There was no correlation between the composition of mackerel tissue determined by ultrasonic attenuation and proximate analysis methods. The increase in ultrasonic attenuation of mackerel with temperature, especially above about 20°C, was attributed to protein denaturation and tissue disruption.     

Ultrasonic Velocity in Cheddar Cheese as Affected by Temperature

The ultrasonic velocity in Cheddar cheese is temperature dependent. This relationship can be used to make corrections when determining ultrasonic texture or to determine mean temperatures in cooling/heating processes. At 0 < T < 35 °C ultrasonic velocity was 1590 to 1696 m/s, at 0 and 35 °C, respectively. Differential Scanning Calorimetry thermograms linked the temperature dependence of ultrasonic velocity to fat melting. Three parts are distinguished in the curve as a consequence of the fat melting and the appearance of free oil. The most reliable temperature interval to carry out ultrasonic measurements in Cheddar cheese is identified as 0 to 17 °C.     

Ultrasonic assessment of the melting behaviour in fat from Iberian dry-cured hams

The feasibility of using ultrasounds to characterize the melting properties of fat from Iberian dry-cured hams was evaluated. Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and ultrasonic measurements were used to characterize the fat melting. The ultrasonic velocity in fat decreased with the increase in temperature, showing four different sections (0–4 °C, 4–10 °C, 10–20 °C and 20–24 °C). Ultrasonic velocity was related (R² = 0.99) to the percentage of melted fat (%MEF) showing an increase of 5.4 ms⁻¹ for 1% increase of melted fat (%MEF above 60%). The thermal history did not affect the ultrasonic measurements from 10 to 25 °C and, consequently, this range was the most suitable for classifying Iberian dry-cured products with different genetics and feeding backgrounds. Ultrasonic measurements could be a reliable technique to estimate the %MEF and subsequently the related sensory attributes in Iberian dry-cured ham at 10–25 °C, which is the common temperature range for the consumption of Iberian dry-cured products.     

Ultrasonic Spectroscopy Study of Salad Dressings

Ultrasonic velocity and attenuation spectra (1 to 100 MHz) of salad dressings with different disperse phase volume fractions (φ= 0 to 0.394) and mean droplet radii (0.3 to 0.6 μm) were measured at 25 °C. There were significant differences between the experimental measurements and theoretical predictions due to droplet flocculation. The measured attenuation coefficient was lower than expected at low frequencies because of thermal overlap effects, but it was greater than expected at high frequencies because of scattering. These deviations could be accounted for using an effective medium theory. Results suggest that ultrasonic velocities at 14 MHz were independent of droplet size and could be used to measure droplet concentration of salad dressings.     

Prediction of Proximate Fish Composition from Ultrasonic Properties: Catfish, Cod, Flounder, Mackerel and Salmon

The ultrasonic velocity within Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua), Atlantic mackerel (Scomber sombrus), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), Channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus), and Sole flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) fillets was measured over a range of temperatures (5 to 35°C) using an ultrasonic pulse-echo technique (～3.5 MHz). Lipid, protein, moisture and ash content of fillets were determined by standard methods. Ultrasonic velocity-temperature profiles were dependent on fish composition and could be predicted reasonably well using a semi-empirical equation developed in a previous study. Ultrasonic velocity measurements show potential for analyzing fish composition.     

Ultrasonic characterization of lactose crystallization in gelatin gels

Ultrasonic velocity and attenuation measurements (2.25 MHz center frequency) were used to follow bulk crystallization of lactose (43% and 46%) from gelatin (1.5% and 3%) gels at 25 °C, and compared to turbidity (500 nm) and isothermal calorimetric measurements. Ultrasonic velocity decreased slightly (approximately 0.5%) during crystallization while ultrasonic attenuation was low in the absence of lactose crystals and increased progressively during crystallization. The lag time before the onset of crystallization decreased and the maximum rate of increase in attenuation during crystallization increased with increasing lactose supersaturation but was not affected by gelatin concentration (P < 0.05). Similar results were seen in turbidity and isothermal calorimetric measurements. Ultrasonic attenuation measurements have the potential to measure crystallization kinetics in complex food matrices and to be applied on-line. Practical Application: Many foods contain crystals that affect their taste and texture (for example, lactose crystals can give a grainy defect in ice cream). The formation of crystals is often hard to predict so methods to measure the development of crystals inside real foods are useful. In this study, we show that as lactose crystallizes in a gelatin gel the ultrasonic attenuation--capacity to absorb sound--increases and can be related to the amount of crystals present. Ultrasound is easier to apply in real food processing than the existing methodologies.     

Monitoring Tempered Dark Chocolate Using Ultrasonic Spectrometry

Ultrasonic spectrometry was used to distinguish between properly tempered and untempered commercial dark chocolate. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) were used to characterize the polymorphic state of tempered and untempered chocolate, results that were correlated to those of ultrasonic spectrometry. Four different kinds of dark chocolate samples with different amounts of sugar (7.5–50 %), fat (30–50 %), and cocoa mass (70–90 %) were subjected to two different tempering protocols. The tempering was achieved using cocoa butter seeds under static cooling from 50 to 14 °C. The ultrasonic generator and analyzer SIA-7 (V.N. Instruments) was used to monitor the crystallization process. The instrument generated a chirp signal with a bandwidth of 0.5 to 3 MHz and was set to work in a four-pathway configuration with two transducers and a center frequency of 2.25 MHz. Spectrometric analysis was carried out with chocolate samples containing 2, 4, and 6 % solid fat content (SFC). The SFC was obtained from DSC measurements. Ultrasonic signals for attenuation, reflection, and velocity were compared between tempered and untempered chocolates. It was shown that seed-tempered chocolate with 30 % sugar and 47.5 % fat attenuated 2.5 MHz of ultrasonic waves by 0.8, 1.7, and 2.0 dB/cm at 2, 4, and 6 % SFC, respectively. On the other hand, untempered chocolate attenuated the ultrasound signal by 3.5, 3.6, and 4.3 dB/cm. Furthermore, it was found that ultrasound reflection signals were stronger and ultrasonic velocity was higher in chocolates with high sugar content.     

Ultrasonic monitoring of lard crystallization during storage

This work addresses the use of ultrasonics as a non-destructive technique with which to monitor lard crystallization during cooling and storage. The ultrasonic velocity was measured during both the isothermal crystallization of lard (at 0, 3, 5, 7, 10 and 20 °C) and during the non-isothermal crystallization. In addition, lard crystallization was also studied through Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and instrumental texture analysis (penetration tests). The measurement of the ultrasonic velocity allowed the bulk crystallization to be detected. The evolution of the ultrasonic velocity and the textural measurements during isothermal crystallization showed two steep increases, which may be explained by the two fractions of triglycerides found in DSC thermograms. At 7, 10 and 20 °C the second fraction did not crystallize within the first 11 days of storage. A two-step crystallization model based on the Avrami model was used to properly describe (% var > 99.9 and RMSE < 1.99 m s^− 1) the relationship between the ultrasonic velocity and the isothermal crystallization time. In addition, a model was developed to estimate the percentage of solid fat content during isothermal crystallization. Therefore, it may be pointed out that ultrasonic techniques could be useful to monitor the crystallization pattern of complex fats during long periods of storage.     

Evaluation of High-Pressure Thermophysical Parameters of the Diacylglycerol (DAG) Oil Using Ultrasonic Waves

Modeling of high-pressure technological processes in the food industry requires knowledge of thermophysical parameters of processed foodstuffs in a broad range of pressures and temperatures. However, the high-pressure thermophysical parameters of foodstuffs are very rarely published in the literature. Therefore, further research is necessary to achieve a deeper insight into the biophysical and thermophysical phenomena under pressure to provide better control of technological processes and optimize the effects of pressure. The essential goal of this work is to evaluate the impact of high pressure and temperature on the thermophysical parameters of liquid foodstuffs on the example of diacylglycerol (DAG) oil (which attracted recently a considerable attention from research and industrial communities due to its remarkable benefits for health), using ultrasonic wave velocity and density measurements. Isotherms of adiabatic and isothermal compressibility, isobaric thermal expansion coefficient, internal pressure, and thermal pressure coefficient versus pressure were evaluated, based on the measurement of the compressional ultrasonic wave velocity and density of DAG oil at high pressures (up to 500 MPa) and at various temperatures. The adiabatic compressibility is affected mostly by the changes of pressure, i.e., it grows about four times when the pressure increases from the atmospheric pressure (0.1 MPa) to 400 MPa at a temperature of 50 °C. By contrast, the internal pressure is a pronounced function of the temperature, i.e., it increases six times when the temperature rises from 20 to 50 °C at a pressure of a 200 MPa. To perform numerical calculations, it was convenient to introduce a Tammann–Tait type equation of state to approximate the measured density isotherms of the investigated DAG oil. The results obtained in this paper can be applied in modeling and optimization of high-pressure technological processes and processing of foodstuffs. Evaluation of high-pressure isotherms of the considered thermophysical parameters of the DAG oil is an original authors’ contribution to the state-of-the-art.     

Analysis of the sugar content of fruit juices and drinks using ultrasonic velocity measurements

The use of ultrasound to determine the sugar content of fruit juices and drinks has been assessed. The velocity of ultrasound and the density were measured in solutions of D-glucose, D-fructose, and sucrose at various concentrations (0–40% w/v) and temperatures (10–30°C). The velocity of ultrasound was measured in 50:50wt:wt mixed solutions of sucrose and D-glucose over the same range of concentrations and temperatures. Measurements of the velocity of ultrasound, the density and the refractive index were made on various fruit juices and drinks at 20°C. The sugar content of the juices and drinks was determined by enzymatic assay. Ultrasonic measurements are shown to predict sugar contents in pure sugar solutions to within 0.2% w/v and in mixed sugar solutions to within 0.5% w/v. The ultrasonic measurements were sensitive to sugar species. It is shown that ultrasound compares well with other techniques for sugar content determination in fruit juices and drinks, and has the advantage that the equipment can be used for on-line process control. Applications for this ultrasonic technique are proposed.     

Ultrasonic characterisation of B. femoris from Iberian pigs of different genetics and feeding systems

Ultrasonic velocity was used to characterise the differences in composition and texture of Biceps Femoris muscles from four batches of pigs of different genetics (Iberian and Iberian × Duroc) and feeding systems ("montanera" and concentrate). Significant differences (p<0.05) were found for the ultrasonic velocity in samples with different genetics and feeding systems. These differences were dependent on the temperature of the measurements and were related to the intramuscular fat content (IMF) of the samples and, therefore, to the meat quality. The ultrasonic velocities at 0 and 20 °C were related to the IMF (R=0.77 and 0.65, respectively). A discriminant analysis, including ultrasonic velocity at temperatures from 0 to 20 °C, allowed 87.0% of the samples to be correctly classified in the batches. Therefore, ultrasonics could be useful in the characterisation and differentiation of B. femoris muscles of Iberian pigs with different genetics and from different feeding systems.     

Ultrasonic assessment of textural changes in vacuum packaged sliced Iberian ham induced by high pressure treatment or cold storage

Ultrasonic measurements were used to characterize the effect of high pressure treatment (HPT) (600 MPa/6 min) or cold storage (6 °C/120 days) on the textural properties of vacuum packaged dry-cured ham. The ultrasonic velocity, textural properties and fat content were determined in the ham packages. The ultrasonic velocity was related to the ham hardness, which depends on the sample composition. HPT induced molecular alterations which resulted in an average increase in the hardness of lean tissue of 0.2 N and one of 0.3 N in that of fatty tissue. These textural changes give rise to a velocity increase (8 m/s for lean and 17 m/s for fatty tissue). The cold storage of the Iberian ham also led to an increase in hardness (average 1.10 N) and ultrasonic velocity (average 70 m/s). Therefore, the non-destructive ultrasonic technique could be a reliable method with which to assess the textural changes induced by HPT or cold storage on packaged dry-cured ham.     

Ultrasonic assisted alkali extraction of protein from defatted rice bran and properties of the protein concentrates

Alkaline extraction for the preparation of protein concentrate from rice bran was compared with a range of ultrasonic treatments. Results revealed that the extraction time decreased, and the reaction rate constant increased, with increasing ultrasonic power. The reaction rate constants were 0.0065, 0.0130, 0.0237 and 0.0924 at 40, 60, 80 and 100 W respectively. The defatted rice bran protein concentrate (DRBPC) using ultrasonication (100 W for 5 min) and conventional methods showed no significant difference in bulk densities ( P  > 0.05) but it had higher yield (%) and was lighter brown using ultrasonication ( P  ≤ 0.05). The SEM showed that the residual rice bran after extracting protein using ultrasonication exhibited more damage than the conventional method. The functional properties of both samples were not significantly different ( P  > 0.05) in terms of foam and emulsifying stability. However, the water and oil absorption, foam capacity and emulsion activity were significantly different ( P  ≤ 0.05). The nitrogen solubility index of both DRBPC samples gave similar profiles with the lowest solubility at pH 4–6.     

超声场中聚合物变化机理研究进展

对超声场中聚合物变化机理研究进行了综述,详细介绍了超声场中热作用机制、机械作用机制、空化作用机制,提出超声场中聚合物变化的研究仅仅局限于超声场中的宏观层面问题,指出今后应着重微观机理的研究,探明超声场中聚合物变化的作用机理。     

In Situ Ultrasonic Characterization of Cocoa Butter Using a Chirp

Differences between tempered and untempered cocoa butter were investigated by an ultrasonic signal “chirp” generated by contact transducers. Polarized light microscopy and powder X-ray diffraction were used to characterize the morphology and polymorphism of tempered and untempered cocoa butter, whereas pulsed nuclear magnetic resonance was used to determine the amount of crystalline solids present. Ultrasonic wave velocity and attenuation data were collected simultaneously throughout the 5-h crystallization process for cocoa butter. Ultrasonic velocity and attenuation changed at the different solid fat contents (SFC): 4, 8, and 11 %. Untempered cocoa butter showed an attenuation of 3 dB/cm at 1.7 MHz and 4 % SFC, whereas tempered cocoa butter showed an attenuation of 4.5 dB/cm at 1.7 MHz and 4 % SFC. At 3 MHz, the attenuation was 2 dB/cm for untempered and 6 dB/cm for tempered cocoa butter. Under these conditions (4 % SFC, 3 MHz), the chirp wave of tempered sample showed a phase angle change of 0.5 rad, whereas the untempered sample showed ?0.5 rad relative to the canola oil that was taken as 0. The study suggests that an ultrasonic chirp can be effectively used to detect differences between tempered and untempered cocoa butter when measuring attenuation and ultrasonic wave phase angle changes as a function of frequency. The in-line characterization of chocolate “temper” using such nondestructive ultrasonic measurements could be applied to industrial chocolate manufacturing.