Nonthermal Plasma Technology and Its Potential Applications Against Foodborne Microorganisms

Abstract

Food preservation is a continuous fight against spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in foods. The need for enhancing microbial food safety and quality without compromising the nutritional, functional and sensory characteristics has led to an increasing interest in low‐temperature innovative processes for food preservation worldwide. In contrast to the traditional thermal processes, these emerging technologies are predominantly reliant on physical processes, including high hydrostatic pressures, pulsed electric fields and nonthermal plasmas that inactivate microorganisms at ambient or moderately elevated temperatures and short treatment times. Nonthermal plasma is unique in that it inactivates microbial spores on surfaces during the processing of liquid as well as solid food products. The present review aims to give an overview of the principles of action and applications of plasma technologies in biodecontamination. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Nonthermal plasma technology is an emerging nonthermal process which has potential applications for disinfection of food surfaces, packaging and equipment, and water decontamination. It is an alternative technology for the inactivation of foodborne microorganisms without altering over all food quality and appearance.

Plasma bioscience and its application to medicine

“…Therefore, the improvement in food quality and safety without compromising the nutritional values has led to a growing interest in low-temperature innovative processes for food preservation worldwide. In recent times, nonthermal plasma is a unique technique that can inactivate microbial spores on surfaces during the processing of solid food as well as of liquid products [ 47 ]. Also, it is an excellent alternative method to use for the deactivation of foodborne microbes without harming food appearance and quality [ 208 ].…”

“…Nonthermal biocompatible plasma (NBP), alternatively called nonthermal atmospheric pressure plasma (NAPP) [ 1 – 9 ] or cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) [ 10 – 26 ], has been widely used in many areas of life sciences, such as plasma medicine [ 24 , 27 – 34 ], agriculture [ 35 – 46 ], and disinfection against microbial bacteria and fungi [ 47 – 57 ]. This is especially prevalent now for disinfection against viruses, such as SARS-COV-2 (COVID-19) [ 58 – 63 ].…”

Non-thermal plasma inactivation of Salmonella Typhimurium on different matrices and the effect of selected food components on its bactericidal efficacy

“…Plasma is a quasi-neutral ionized gas comprising a multitude of particles including photons, free electrons, ions, ground state and excited atoms/molecules and free radicals (De Geyter & Morent, 2012;Hati et al, 2012;Mandal et al, 2018). Non-thermal plasma (NTP) is created by applying an electrical field to a neutral gas resulting in the formation of a plasma with considerable differences in energy between electrons and heavy particles (Conrads & Schmidt, 2000).…”

Inactivation of airborne SARS-Co-V2 using NTP-UVGI hybrid process

“…The ability of NTP in viral disinfection was shown primarily by a China researcher in 2015 (Verma 2020 ). Other researchers have investigated this ability and then reported the antiviral effect of non-thermal plasma technology (Hati et al 2012 ; Liang et al 2012 ; Pradeep and Chulkyoon 2016 ; Guo et al 2018 ; Su et al 2018 ; Bunz et al 2020 ; Xia et al 2020 ). Since the use of NTP to inactivate more than 99% of viral airborne particles has shown significant positive effects (Wu et al 2015 ; Xia et al 2019 ; Verma 2020 ).…”