Nonthermal Plasma Technology

Abstract

Cold plasma, the partially ionized state of a gas, is essentially a cocktail of various reactive chemical species. These reactive species can induce chemical changes in a range of biological systems, including bacteria, fungi, spores, viruses, and mammalian cells, which can be used for decontamination applications. In addition, the species can also react with chemical contaminants, e.g. pesticides and mycotoxins. Suitable plasma chemistry for a given application can be achieved by carefully selecting a plasma source and optimizing the plasma process parameters. Examples of plasma sources commonly employed in food and bio-decontamination include dielectric barrier discharges, plasma jets, and microwave plasma. Cold plasma has been applied for decontamination of fresh fruits and vegetables, meat and meat products, cereals, nuts, egg, and dairy foods.