High-intensity ultrasound processing to improve the quality of semitendinosus steak from Bos indicus cattle†

High-intensity ultrasound (HIUS) has been extensively explored as an emerging technology to promote meat tenderization. However, appropriate processing conditions for maximum quality preservation have not been elucidated. Therefore, this study aimed to model the sonication of semitendinosus of Bos indicus by varying time and power. A central composite rotatable design was applied to evaluate the individual and combined effects of time (8–22 min) and power (150–675 W) on the physicochemical parameters of semitendinosus subjected to sonication. Drip loss (DL), metmyoglobin-reducing activity (MRA), lipid oxidation (MDA), hardness, and toughness were analyzed as the physicochemical variables of interest. DL increased (0.25–2.18%) as time and power increased. MRA and MDA were affected by linear and quadratic time. Hardness showed stability during storage at low powers. We hypothesized that ranges between 10 and 16 min and 150 and 262.5 W represent suitable values for texture maintenance and minimize discoloration and oxidative stress during storage. Our findings are promising for the industrial utilization of HIUS to obtain high-quality products.