Application of plasma‐activated water as an antimicrobial washing agent of fresh leafy produce
Panagiotis Dimitrakellis, Marianna Giannoglou, Zacharoula Maria Xanthou, Εvangelos Gogolides, Petros Taoukis, George Katsaros
Abstract
Abstract Plasma‐activated water (PAW) was investigated as a “green” antimicrobial washing agent for decontamination of ready‐to‐eat rocket salads. PAW was generated using a dielectric barrier discharge jet and the plasma chemistry was correlated to the PAW characteristics. The low helium flow rates favored the NO x formation and resulted also in higher reactive species concentration upon storage. PAW activity was retained even after 12 days of storage at low temperatures. The application of fresh and 7‐days‐stored PAW as washing agents resulted in significant microbial load reduction, whereas the quality indices of PAW‐treated rocket leaves were retained. Finally, the PAW treatment increased the shelf‐life of the leafy salad by a factor of ~2.5 upon storage at 5°C, demonstrating the potential application of plasma technology in the processing and shelf‐life extension of sensitive food products.