Scholarlink

<p>Cold plasma has emerged from a nascent research stage to a technology of industrial-scale relevance for the agri-food sector. Conventional thermal and chemical preservation methods degrade heat-sensitive nutrients and generate persistent chemical residues, underscoring the need for safer and sustainable alternatives. Cold plasma is a non-thermal processing technology that generates ionized gases containing reactive oxygen-nitrogen species (RONS) through electrical discharge at near-ambient temperatures. Unlike previous reviews that focused on isolated applications, this review systematically examines cold plasma performance across the entire agri-food chain, spanning soil remediation, seed priming, decontamination, food processing, packaging enhancement, and waste valorization. Moreover, a preliminary comparative technoeconomic assessment of apple juice processing yields a minimum selling price of $0.69 USD/kg for cold plasma under the reference scenario. This approaches the high-temperature short-time benchmark ($0.68 USD/kg) and remains more favorable than high-pressure processing ($0.72 USD/kg) and pulsed electric fields ($0.71 USD/kg). However, residual RONS accumulation, N-nitroso compound formation in protein-rich matrices, plasma-induced allergenicity, and non-intentionally added substance migration from treated packaging represent unresolved toxicological concerns. International adoption is further constrained by the lack of a unified regulatory framework between the FDA, USDA-FSIS, and the EU Novel Food Regulation 2015/2283. Future research should prioritize mechanistic understanding of RONS-matrix interactions, standardized parameter reporting, pilot-scale validation, and harmonized safety frameworks to establish standardized treatment parameters and facilitate their wider adoption.</p> Graphical Abstract <p></p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Cold plasma applications in agri-food processing and packaging

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月8日

查看全文
  • Md. Amjad Patwary,
  • Tashfiqur Rahman,
  • Emon Das,
  • Mohammad Afzal Hossain,
  • Mukarram Hossain,
  • Saklain Niam,
  • Abdullah Al Islam,
  • Md Yasin

摘要

Cold plasma has emerged from a nascent research stage to a technology of industrial-scale relevance for the agri-food sector. Conventional thermal and chemical preservation methods degrade heat-sensitive nutrients and generate persistent chemical residues, underscoring the need for safer and sustainable alternatives. Cold plasma is a non-thermal processing technology that generates ionized gases containing reactive oxygen-nitrogen species (RONS) through electrical discharge at near-ambient temperatures. Unlike previous reviews that focused on isolated applications, this review systematically examines cold plasma performance across the entire agri-food chain, spanning soil remediation, seed priming, decontamination, food processing, packaging enhancement, and waste valorization. Moreover, a preliminary comparative technoeconomic assessment of apple juice processing yields a minimum selling price of $0.69 USD/kg for cold plasma under the reference scenario. This approaches the high-temperature short-time benchmark ($0.68 USD/kg) and remains more favorable than high-pressure processing ($0.72 USD/kg) and pulsed electric fields ($0.71 USD/kg). However, residual RONS accumulation, N-nitroso compound formation in protein-rich matrices, plasma-induced allergenicity, and non-intentionally added substance migration from treated packaging represent unresolved toxicological concerns. International adoption is further constrained by the lack of a unified regulatory framework between the FDA, USDA-FSIS, and the EU Novel Food Regulation 2015/2283. Future research should prioritize mechanistic understanding of RONS-matrix interactions, standardized parameter reporting, pilot-scale validation, and harmonized safety frameworks to establish standardized treatment parameters and facilitate their wider adoption.

Graphical Abstract