Non-thermal plasma: An advanced technology for food industry
Sachin K. Sonawane, Thankamani Marar, Sonal Patil
Abstract
In this era of green technology, plasma technology is one of the novel techniques intended towards many industries including food industry as a principal application due to less utilization of energy, solvents, and water with minimum impact on food quality. The foremost purpose behind the utilization of nonthermal plasma processing (cold plasma) lies in the retention of freshness of food products along with furtherance of sensory properties as well as functional and nutritional composition. In addition, this technique assists in shelf life extension and carries out desirable modifications in the structure of food and packaging material. This technology has been proven to be advantageous over other technologies since all these processes are carried out at low temperature, hence is highly suitable for heat-sensitive materials. The present review summarizes the mechanism of this plasma technology along with its benefits to the industry, for example improvements in cooking quality, enhancements in enzyme activity, modification of starches, and microbial inactivation. Also, the effects of plasma treatment on characteristics of various food products have been elaborated in this review.