Enhanced curing of low-sodium duck meat: a comparison of sequential versus collaborative ultrasound-assisted brining

High sodium content in traditionally cured duck meat poses health concerns, yet reducing salt compromises its quality and efficiency. This study compared sequential (SU, ultrasound before brining) and collaborative (CU, ultrasound during brining) ultrasonication (0-500 W) for low-sodium (6% NaCl) duck meat curing, with the curing efficiency, mass transfer kinetics, microstructural alterations, and protein conformational changes being systematically investigated. Results demonstrated that SU, particularly at 500 W, significantly outperformed CU, achieving higher total salt penetration (4.93 g/kg) and inducing greater myofibrillar fragmentation (91.66%) and protein aggregation. These microstructural disruptions enhanced water holding capacity and yielded a more tender texture of duck meat comparable to high-salt products, as confirmed by a higher immobilized water fraction in low-field nuclear magnetic resonance analysis. These results revealed that SU was a simple, highly effective strategy for producing high-quality, health-oriented low-sodium duck meat, offering a scalable solution for the duck meat industry.