Life cycle assessment of the manothermosonication of liquid whole egg: a comparative evaluation with conventional thermal preservation

Manothermosonication (MTS) is a promising alternative to thermal preservation of liquid whole egg (LWE) in terms of safety level and improved quality. However, energy and sustainability assessment of MTS are not well described. This study compared the energy balance and life cycle assessment (LCA) of MTS to traditional thermal preservation of LWE, considering equivalent microbial inactivation levels and a production capacity of 100 kg/h within a “gate to gate” approach. Results of the energy assessment indicated that MTS preservation consumed 15% less energy (2.00 kWh/kg of LWE) and water compared to thermal preservation (2.36 kWh/kg of LWE). This reduction is attributable to cavitation, the mechanism of action in MTS, which eliminates the need of pre-homogenisation stage and water for heating. Concerning the environmental impact, MTS scored lower in all impact indicators, mainly due to reduced electricity and water usage. For instance, carbon footprint of CO₂ emissions from LWE processing were 57.3% for MTS and 61.8% for thermal preservation, with the environmental impact of the pasteurisation stage being 4.1-fold lower in MTS. This study suggests MTS preservation of LWE is a viable alternative to thermal methods, offering safety, quality, and improved energy and environmental benefits.