New approach for yoghurt and ice cream production: High-intensity ultrasound

Background: The use of alternative technologies has recently gained significant importance in the food industry due to the new consumer trends for the novel food processing methods that minimize processing, increase quality, improve processing effectiveness and efficiency, and provide food safety while extending shelf life. Ultrasound has emerged as an innovative technology in the food industry because it is relatively cheap, simple, fast, non-toxic, environmentally friendly, and energy saving. High-intensity ultrasound (HIU) causes physical, mechanical, and chemical changes in the material because of the acoustic cavitation, which provides high temperature and pressure by collapsing the microbubbles. Scope and approach: This study summarizes the major applications and important advantages of HIU in yoghurt and ice cream production, including research findings. Key findings and conclusions: In yoghurt technology, HIU can be utilized to improve homogenization and emulsification by reducing milk fat globule size, to increase viscosity and water holding capacity by reducing syneresis, to enhance gel strength and firmness by increasing coagulation properties of whey proteins, to reduce fermentation time by improving lactose hydrolysis, and to stimulate probiotic bacteria. In ice cream technology, certain benefits can be achieved by HIU application during the freezing process, such as reducing ice crystal size, decreasing freezing time, and preventing incrustation on the freezing surface.