Low-Temperature Plasma - Mild Preservation Technology for Minimal Processed Fresh Food?

摘要

Due to the sensitivity of food products the use of conventional thermal proc-esses for food preservation purposes is largely limited. Fresh fruit and vegetables are physiologically active food systems and temperatures above 45 °C can result in unwanted alteration of valuable nutrients [I]. Furthermore the steadily in-creasing use of heat-sensitive packaging materials demands sterilization meth-ods that operate at moderate temperatures. In this context, non-thermal atmos-pheric pressure plasma is an innovative and emerging technology that seems to be a promising alternative, since an efficient inactivation of microorganisms comes along with a moderate heating of the treated surface [2]. The reactive components emanating from a plasma are mainly radicals and other reactive oxygen species whose formation depend on the feeding gas composition and several other operative parameters [3]. Yet their respective roles and their influ-ence on valuable bioactive compounds are still not clearly understood.