Ultrasonic characterization of foods and drinks: principles, methods, and applications.

The use of ultrasonics as an analytical technique for providing information about the physicochemical properties of foods is becoming increasingly popular in the food industry. Ultrasound can be used to rapidly and nondestructively measure properties such as food composition, structure, flow rate, physical state, and molecular properties. As well as being used as an analytical instrument in the laboratory, ultrasound can also be used for continuous monitoring of food properties on-line during processing. This article critically reviews the current status of ultrasound in the food industry, presents the basic principles of ultrasonic testing of foods, and highlights areas where ultrasound will prove to be most useful in the future.