The effects of cold plasma technology on physical, nutritional, and sensory properties of milk and milk products

Thermal processes such as high-temperature-short-time (HTST) are utilized in the dairy industry to maintain milk safety and shelf life. However, thermal processes while ensuring milk safety can negatively impact milk quality including protein denaturation, non-enzymatic browning, loss of vitamins, and flavor changes. Cold plasma is a rapid and non-thermal technique that can pasteurize milk to ensure food safety while maintaining the milk quality. Recent papers have highlighted the advantages of cold plasma treatment on reducing bacteria and their enzymes in raw milk and dairy products; however, these reviews lack examination of cold plasma's impact on milk and dairy product quality. This research review focuses on the effects of cold plasma treatment on quality of milk and dairy products. Reported quality information includes viscosity, color, particle size, fat, protein, lactose, as well as sensory properties. Cold plasma processes can be optimized to maximize bacterial reduction without significantly impacting milk and dairy product quality; however, non-optimized cold plasma processes, while effective in achieving significant microbial reduction, can result in product quality losses, including lipid oxidation, protein aggregation, and off-flavor. Thus, future cold plasma research studies need to consider microbial inactivation in parallel with quality impact and consumer sensory.