Mass transfer effects during meat ultrasonic brining

Mass transfer processes in meat brining can be enhanced by taking advantage of the effects produced by high intensity ultrasound. Pork loin slices were immersed in a saturated solution of NaCl at 2 ºC during 45 minutes. Different conditions of agitation of the solution and different levels of ultrasound intensity were applied during brining.Ultrasounds were applied with a probe system and the intensity was measured by means of a calorimetric method. The water and NaCl content of samples after treatments showed a high influence of the ultrasound intensity on the mass transfer. Above a threshold of ultrasonic intensity, NaCl and water transport were affected. NaCl content was higher in sonicated than non sonicated samples. At intensities higher than thisthreshold, water content of samples was higher than initial water content of meat.