Cold plasma technology: an epochal enabler in elevating food preservation, ensuring safety, and enhancing quality standards
Samina Kauser, Ashiq Hussain, Sana Imtiaz, Mian Anjum Murtaza, Muhammad Qasim Ali, Ayesha Najam, M. Zeeshan Ashfaq, Nida Firdous, Muhammad Zia, Fozia Bakhtawar, Abdeen Elkhedir
Abstract
This comprehensive review paper aims to deliver a thorough analysis of the innovative cold plasma technique in the processing and preservation of food, ensuring food safety, and upholding the quality standards of food ingredients, products, and packaging materials. Applications of cold plasma in the field of agriculture and space technology to ensure sustainable practices for safe and healthy food products are also discussed. This paper provided comprehensive knowledge on how cold plasma technology is implemented for modifying food and packaging material structures, as well as for food microbial decontamination. Reactive species and electric fields can impact the physical and chemical quality parameters of the food ingredients and products. Various types of food products that have been treated with cold plasma have been discussed in detail in this paper. However, there are drawbacks and restrictions to using cold plasma in food processing. Therefore, further research is needed to understand the impact of harmful reactive species.