HIGH-INTENSITY ULTRASOUND AS AN ALTERNATIVE PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY FOR STINGLESS BEE HONEY

Stingless bee honey is characterized by high moisture content and bioactive compounds, which may challenge its stabilization while preserving physicochemical, functional, and microbiological properties. High-intensity ultrasound (HIUS) has emerged as an alternative food-processing technology combining acoustic and thermal effects under controlled conditions. This study evaluated different HIUS strategies, considering thermal history and acoustic energy input, physicochemical characteristics, antioxidant properties, and microbiological quality of stingless bee honey. Raw honey was compared with conventional thermal pasteurization at 72 °C for 15 s and with HIUS treatments performed under two strategies. In the first, HIUS at 33.8 ± 0.1 W was applied without external cooling until the honey reached 72 °C, resulting in an energy input of approximately 395 kJ kg-1. In the second, HIUS treatments at8.4 ± 0.3, 26.9 ± 0.3, and 48 ± 1 W were performed under cooling at 10 °C with a standardized specific energy input of approximately 80.7 kJ kg-1. Soluble solids, moisture, water activity, pH, acidity, carbohydrate and organic acid profiles, color, total phenolic content, and ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) were evaluated. Microbiological quality was assessed on MRS, PCA, and DRBC media, with results interpreted qualitatively due to spreading and confluent growth. Conventional pasteurization promoted greater honey concentration, evidenced by increased soluble solids and reduced moisture and water activity, whereas temperature-controlled HIUS generally maintained these parameters close to those of raw honey. Ultrasound also affected color and selected carbohydrates, depending on acoustic power and processing time. The non-cooled HIUS treatment produced more pronounced compositional changes than the temperature-controlled treatments. No significant differences in FRAP were observed among treatments, indicating preservation of reducing antioxidant capacity. No growth was observed on MRS. Raw honey showed the highest frequency of colonies on DRBC, while processed samples generally exhibited lower yeast and mold recovery. Overall, HIUS effects were governed by the interaction between acoustic intensity, processing time, and thermal history. Therefore, temperature-controlled HIUS represents a promising strategy for processing stingless bee honey while limiting physicochemical changes and affecting microbial recoverability.