Enhancement of quality induced by ultrasonic-assisted stewing improved the nutritional concentration, emulsifying property, and flavor characteristic of the chicken soup.

To investigate the effects of ultrasonic-assisted stewing (UAS) on the quality of chicken soup, the nutritional content, emulsifying properties and flavor characteristic were detected, and the underlying mechanisms were analyzed. The results showed that UAS led to a milky appearance, improved nutrient content and emulsifying properties, attributed to increased rheological properties, absolute Zeta potential, and reduced particle size and surface tension. Laser scanning confocal microscopy revealed that the micro-nano particles in the UAS group were uniformly sized and densely arranged. When treated for 90 min of UAS, the chicken soup achieved the highest emulsibility. Additionally, sensory and electronic tongue evaluations demonstrated that UAS group had superior taste attributes compared to the control group. The relative concentration of marker VOCs in the UAS group was also higher than in the control group. These findings offer scientific and theoretical insights into the impact of UAS on chicken soup quality.