Thermosonication as an Upcoming Technology in the Dairy Industry: An Overview

Ultrasound waves are longitudinal sound waves of frequency of 20 kHz or more. As low amplitude ultrasonic waves do not significantly modify the material under examination, they can be used to analyse the material. However, high amplitude ultrasonic waves can be used to process food as they have the capacity to alter the food material by cavitation. The use of ultrasound by itself may not be effective in destroying all the microbes in food. Hence, it can be coupled with pressure or heat or both to get the desired results. Thermosonication involves the simultaneous use of low frequency ultrasound waves (20 kHz) along with heat; and the both together have some synergistic effect. When heat and ultrasound is used together, the process temperature is considerably reduced compared to the conventional heating process, making it a green and economical technology as less energy is consumed; this in turn makes it a cost-efficient process. If thermosonication is seen to bring about the desired effects in milk, then it can be used as a commercial method to treat and homogenize milk in the future.