Delivery systems of cold atmospheric plasma in the food industry: Modes, optimization strategies, and applications

Background

Cold atmospheric plasma (CAP) has emerged as a potentially transformative technology in the field of food safety, producing reactive oxygen and nitrogen species at close to atmospheric pressure and room temperature in “on/off” mode, while overcoming the barriers in conventional methods. However, the effective delivery of plasma components is crucial for its successful application in the food industry.

Scope and approach

This review provides a comprehensive overview of plasma delivery sources, reactive species generated by plasma sources, and their diagnostics. Various applications of direct CAP delivery in the food industry for antimicrobial, contaminant removal, and food functionalization are also discussed in detail. The delivery of plasma-activated media for food applications, includes plasma-activated gases, plasma-activated liquids, and plasma-activated hydrogels. Furthermore, specific optimization strategies to enhance the CAP delivery performance are proposed, focusing on two key pathways: “device-assisted” and “technology integration” approaches for the efficient loading of reactive species. Finally, important insights into the challenges and prospects of plasma delivery research for practical applications in the food industry are provided.

Key findings and conclusions

CAP delivery systems are developed to different delivery purposes, and the delivery effectiveness of CAP delivery systems increases the potential for plasma applications in the food industry. These delivery systems can be applied to antimicrobial, contaminant removal, food functionalization, and other practical applications in the food industry. Future research should further extend the breadth-depth of CAP delivery and scale up CAP delivery to promote its broader implementation in food industry practices.