Cold plasma in food processing and preservation: A review

Abstract The need for safe and healthy foods has increased since the turn of the century. Novel non‐thermal food processing technologies are being adopted by the food sector. Cold plasma (CP) is a proposed, non‐thermal food processing method that inactivates contaminating bacteria on foods and packing materials by using charged, highly reactive gaseous molecules and species. It was originally established to improve the printing and adhesive capabilities of polymers, as well as several electronic applications. The uses of cold plasma have expanded up to food industries in recent decades as a powerful tool for non‐thermal food processing, with a variety of applications. The impact of CP on food quality is crucial to its acceptability as an alternative food processing technology. As the cold plasma possesses non‐thermal characteristics, these can be a great combination of high reactivity and moderate temperatures, which can be used for heat‐sensitive products. CP treatments have had no or little effects on the chemical, physical, sensory, and nutritional properties of different items because of the non‐thermal nature. This review paper discusses the cold plasma, generation method, effect on food and limitations, and future prospects. Practical applications Non‐thermal food processing is a relatively new application that is gaining attraction. As a non‐thermal technology, cold plasma is environmentally safe and produces minimal modifications in treated products. Cold plasma has a wide range of uses in the food and biomedical industries. The application of cold plasma for surface sterilization of both food products and food packaging materials is progressing due to significant advances in plasma science and its advantages over the conventional sterilization technologies. This paper highlights recent cold plasma breakthroughs on several plant and animal‐based food matrices with the goal of emphasizing prospective applications, current research, and industry trends. This analysis will help students, researchers, consumers, and food processors to understand the safety of cold plasma and its wide‐scale commercial application in food by assessing the safety of gases utilized in the plasma treatment.