Effect of Ultrasound-Assisted Sodium Bicarbonate Treatment on the Quality of Low-Salt Lion’s Head Meatballs

The aim of this study was to explore the impact of ultrasound-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment on the quality of low-salt lion’s head meatballs (1% NaCl) as evaluated in terms of pH, color, cooking loss, pressing loss, texture, sensory properties, and volatile flavor compounds. The results indicated that ultrasound-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment significantly reduced the redness value of meatballs while increasing the brightness and yellowness values compared with the 1% NaCl group (P < 0.05). In addition, it significantly reduced the cooking loss and pressing loss, and enhanced textural characteristics such as hardness and elasticity compared with the 2% NaCl group (P < 0.05). The analysis of volatile flavor compounds showed that the major aroma compounds across all groups were aldehydes, alcohols, and esters, contributing significantly to the flavor of meatballs, especially decanal, octanal, nonanal, hexanal, and phenylethanol. The major aroma compounds in the 1% NaCl treatment group were esters such as 11-octadecenoic acid methyl ester,(Z,Z)-9,12-octadecadienoic acid methyl ester. The key flavor compounds in the 1% NaCl + sodium bicarbonate group were phenylethanol, 10-azido-1-decanethiol, and 3-methyl-1-butano. The key flavor compounds in the 1% NaCl + ultrasound treatment group were aldehydes such as hexanal and nonanal. The key flavor compounds in the 1% salt + 0.4% sodium bicarbonate + ultrasound treatment group were hexanal, nonanal, pentanal, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 1-octen-3-ol, ethanol and ethyl acetate, with hexanal and nonanal being the most important flavor compounds. Ultrasound-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment enriched the composition of flavor compounds in meatballs. The ultrasound-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment group scored highest (43.52) in sensory evaluation, which was significantly higher than that of the 1% NaCl treatment group (P < 0.05) and was not significantly different from the 2% NaCl treatment group (P > 0.05). In summary, the quality of the 1% salt + 0.4% sodium bicarbonate + ultrasound treatment group was not significantly different from that of the 2% NaCl treatment group but instead remarkably superior in terms of some quality indicators. These results suggested that ultrasound-assisted sodium bicarbonate treatment completely compensated for the deterioration in water retention, texture, flavor, and other quality aspects caused by reduced NaCl content.