Microwave Powered Cold Plasma Applications for Food Quality and Safety: A Review

Abstract

High quality food with minimal alteration of its quality and freshness without relying on harmful chemicals has led to the development of several novel non-thermal techniques. These novel technologies have been developed that utilize UV light, strong electric fields, ozone, and other reactive agents to eliminate contaminants on the surface of food. Among these non-thermal technologies, plasma treatment has emerged as one of the most promising methods to decontaminate food while preserving its original properties. A recent advancement in this field is microwave plasma technology, which has demonstrated remarkable effectiveness in deactivating spores, enzymes, and toxins. By utilizing highly energetic, reactive, and charged gas molecules and species, microwave plasma technology can decontaminate both food and packaging surfaces, ensuring the microbiological safety of the food. Studies have demonstrated that microwave plasma can achieve a 54% reduction in E. coli after just 3 min of treatment while maintaining the physical and sensory attributes of food products. It has also been reported that L. monocytogenes and S. typhimurium populations in cheddar cheese can be reduced by 2.1 logs and 5.8 logs, respectively, without altering the cheese's color or sensory properties. This technology achieves these goals without causing any thermal damage to the nutritional and quality aspects of the food. As the field of plasma science continues to advance rapidly, the application of microwave plasma technology for decontaminating food products and packaging materials is progressing. This review also presents the mechanisms behind microbial and enzyme inactivation and sterilization of packaging materials and assesses the effect of microwave-powered cold plasma on food composition, sensory properties, and nutritional quality.