Cold atmospheric pressure plasma and low energy electron beam as alternative nonthermal decontamination technologies for dry food surfaces: A review

Publication date: Available online 8 May 2018 Source:Trends in Food Science & Technology Author(s): Christian Hertwig, Nicolas Meneses, Alexander Mathys Background Dry food products are often highly contaminated, and dry stress-resistant microorganisms, such as certain types of Salmonella and bacterial spores, can be still viable and multiply if the product is incorporated into high moisture food products or rehydrated. Traditional technologies for the decontamination of these products have certain limitations and drawbacks, such as alterations of product quality, environmental impacts, carcinogenic potential and/or lower consumer acceptance. Cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAPP) and low energy electron beam (LEEB) are two promising innovative technologies for microbial inactivation on dry food surfaces, which have shown potential to solve these certain limitations. Scope and approach This review critically summarizes recent studies on the decontamination of dry food surfaces by CAPP and LEEB. Furthermore, proposed inactivation mechanisms, product-process interactions, current limitations and upscaling potential, as well as future trends and research needs for both emerging technologies, are discussed. Key Findings and conclusions CAPP and LEEB are nonthermal technologies with a high potential for the gentle decontamination of dry food surfaces. Both technologies have similarities in their inactivation mechanisms. Due to the limited penetration depth of both ...
Source: Trends in Food Science and Technology - Category: Food Science Source Type: research