Effect of Cold Plasma on Quality Retention of Fresh-Cut Produce

Abstract

In recent years, the consumption of the fresh-cut products has been increased due to the consumers’ lifestyle and awareness. However, maintaining the quality and nutritional value of these products during storage is being difficult in comparison to whole fruits and vegetables. In actual, the procedures used in the fresh-cut industry may intensify the deterioration caused by physical damage by minimal processing. Commonly, the quality degradation, discolouration, loss of moisture, loss of firmness, microbial load increase, and loss of nutrients and flavor occur in the fresh-cut product after minimal processing. To maintain the quality and increase the shelf-life of the fresh-cut product, it is necessary to use various techniques, including physical, chemical, and nondestructive processes. In this review, first, an introduction to minimal processing and its effect on fresh-cut product quality was expressed, and then, the methods used to maintain fresh-cut product quality after minimal processing were reviewed. Finally, the effect of cold plasma on the qualitative characteristics in some fresh-cut products was investigated. The review showed that cold plasma treatments can significantly inhibit microorganisms and extend the shelf-life of fresh-cut products. In addition, no or minimal impacts were observed on physicochemical and organoleptic quality attributes of the treated fresh-cut products. Therefore, the use of cold plasma is promising for the fresh-cut industry.

Corona Discharge Power of Plasma Treatment Influence on the Physicochemical and Microbial Quality of Enoki Mushroom (Flammulina velutipes)

“…57 Decomposition of ascorbic acid could be due to the reaction of reactive plasma species, light sensitive oxidation during the treatment. [58][59]…”

An in‐depth review of novel cold plasma technology for fresh‐cut produce

“…However, in most studies, the focus of interest is only the stability of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) under different processing conditions. Some critical factors that may contribute to the degradation of vitamin C are plasma gas, sample type, and processing time (Bagheri & Abbaszadeh, 2020). Furthermore, ultraviolet light generated by cold plasma may also reduce the content of ascorbic acid as it is sensitive to light (Starek et al, 2019).…”

“…To maintain the quality of fresh‐cut produce, it is necessary to apply appropriate packaging and store it in cold conditions. (Bagheri & Abbaszadeh, 2020). Many food industries are applying additional preservation methods like ozone (Liu, Chen, et al, 2021), edible coatings (Martiñon et al, 2014), and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) (Wilson et al, 2019) to restrict the physical damage caused by biochemical reactions, thereby retaining the quality of fresh‐cut produce.…”

Emerging Postharvest Technologies to Enhance the Shelf-Life of Fruit and Vegetables: An Overview

“…The application of cold plasma is widely used in the whole and minimally processed fruit and vegetable industry as an innovative technology used to handle microbial development [ 55 ], with the aim of replacing conventional sanitation treatments, meanwhile preserving the nutritional and antioxidant aspects of food products. Several scientific studies reported the effectiveness of non-thermal plasma on different horticultural products ( Table 1 ).…”