Dairy Products Processed With Ultrasound

This chapter provides a brief introduction to ultrasound applied to food processing, with focus on the factors that make this technology suitable in many areas of dairy processing. The chapter focuses on applications of low-frequency ultrasound where the development since the late 1990s has resulted in a transition from the research laboratory to the commercial environment or has shown potential for such transition in the near future: ultrasound processing to influence particle size, solubility, or viscosity; to reduce the microbial load; as a filtration aid; or to influence the characteristics of dairy products such as yogurt and cheese. A summary of selected applications of high-frequency ultrasound is also included.