Evaluation of ultrasound and pulsed electric field combinations on the cooking Losses, texture Profile, and Taste-Related amino acids of chicken breast meat

•Effect of US + PEF treatment on the physicochemical quality of chicken breast meat.•US + PEF treatments reduces cooking loss to enhance moisture retention.•Changes in hardness and chewiness indicate potential improvements in texture profile.•Alterations in free amino acids were associated with umami, sweetness, and bitterness.•Offers insights for developing novel processing strategies to enhance meat quality. The search to improve the quality of meat while maintaining its nutritional value and flavor profile has driven the investigation of emerging clean-label non-thermal technologies in the field of meat processing. Ultrasound (US) and pulsed electric field (PEF) treatments have emerged as promising tools for producing high-quality meat products. This study investigated the combined effects of ultrasound and PEF on chicken breast meat quality, focusing on cooking loss, texture, and taste-related amino acids. Ultrasound (24.5 kHz, 300 W, 10 min) combined with PEF for 30 s (1.6, 3.3, and 5.0 kV/cm as US + PEF 1, US + PEF 3, and US + PEF 5, respectively) significantly reduced cooking losses (up to 28.78 %), potentially improving the product yield. Although US + PEF significantly (p