Non-thermal plasma technique for preservation of fresh foods: A review

Fruits and vegetables, as fresh foods, are significant sources of nutrients. However, the spread of diseases related to fresh foods is widespread. Development and research of rotting-control technologies are necessary to maintain quality, reduce postharvest biological hazards, while processing and storage are essential to increase their shelf-life. Cold plasma as an advanced non-thermal disinfection method can be supplementary or sole alternative for reducing microbial loads on raw or fresh products and packaging materials. Plasma employs inert gases at room temperature to generate ionized and highly reactive, e.g., positive and negative ions, electrons, molecules in (non) excited states, free radicals, and photons. Different plasma species react with the biological cells, fostering permanent changes at the molecular levels and morphology, thus leading to their inactivation. There are three primary mechanisms attributed to cell death by plasma, including cell surface etching induced by reactive species, impact on intracellular components, and the destruction of genetic material. Aside from that, plasma-mediated treatments are beneficial enzymatic inactivation, resulting in a shelf-life extension. Food processors can employ this technology for surface decontamination and impediment for biofilm development. Cold plasma may induce bioactive compounds degradation by the combined effects of numerous plasma-reactive species and thermal-induced oxidative cleavage pathways. Therefore, issues related to this technology include adverse effects on food components, especially lipids and vitamins, still require more investigations to improve the practical applicability of this technique.

Automated summary

Fruits and vegetables are important sources of nutrients, but diseases related to fresh foods are widespread. Development of rotting-control technologies and cold plasma as a non-thermal disinfection method are necessary for maintaining quality, reducing hazards, and extending shelf-life. However, the adverse effects of cold plasma on food components still need further investigation to improve its practical applicability.