Low Temperature Plasma: a New Disinfection Method for Food and Food Contact Surfaces

Abstract

The need for ensuring microbial food safety and quality, without adversely affecting the nutritional, functional and sensory characteristics of foods, has led to an increase in low-temperature or non-thermal processing technologies for food preservation. These emerging technologies including high hydrostatic pressures, pulsed electric field and low-temperature plasmas inactivate microorganisms at ambient or moderately elevated temperatures and short treatment times.