Cold plasma technology in food Systems: Mechanisms, multifunctional applications, and pathways to industrial adoption

Abstract

Cold plasma (CP) technology, as an emerging non-thermal processing method, has garnered significant attention for its multifunctional applications in food systems. This comprehensive review synthesizes fundamental mechanisms of reactive species-mediated interactions and systematically analyzes the efficacy of CP in microbial/spore inactivation, degradation of hazardous compounds (pesticides, mycotoxins), material modification, extraction enhancement, and allergenicity reduction. Crucially, CP demonstrates superior advantages over traditional thermal/chemical methods by preserving sensory attributes and nutritional integrity while ensuring chemical residue-free safety. Despite transitioning from laboratory-scale trials to pilot-scale applications, widespread industrial adoption faces critical challenges: (1) Food matrix-specific optimization of operational parameters (voltage, gas composition, exposure time); (2) Scalability limitations for heterogeneous food geometries; (3) Incomplete understanding of long-term nutrient interactions. To accelerate commercialization, future efforts must prioritize standardized protocol development, economic feasibility assessments, and rigorous validation of CP's impact on complex food matrices. Additionally, advancing synergistic approaches (e.g., CP combined with mild heat or pulsed light) and establishing regulatory frameworks for CP-treated foods are essential pathways toward sustainable industrial implementation.