Abstract: Ultrasound is a green processing technology which causes no harmful residues, and therefore it has attracted wide research interest in the field of non-thermal processing, especially sterilization. However, research has shown that ultrasonic treatment alone has limited effect on microorganisms, which can be improved by hurdle technology, namely combined treatment with other sterilization technologies. Bactericides have several advantages such as a wide scope of application, low price, easy availability, and convenient storage. The combined use of ultrasound with bactericides can not only improve the bactericidal effect, but also reduce the residue of harmful by-products, and enhance the poor permeability of bactericides. This article reviews three effects induced by ultrasonic cavitation including sonoporation, sonochemistry and sonoluminescence, and it focuses on the mechanism and influential factors of microbial killing by combined treatment of ultrasound with bactericides and its application in the food field. Finally, some future research directions are discussed. We anticipate that this review will provide a reference for the development of food sterilization technologies based on combined use of ultrasound and bactericides.

Key words: ultrasound; bactericide; sterilization; cavitation effect