Non-thermal plasma is ionized gas which comprised of neutral molecules, excited atom, and charged molecules. Some of the molecules are so very reactive that react rapidly to almost organic or non-organicmatter. Due to its properties, plasma is recently applied to decontaminate agricultural products from various contaminants. In the case of fresh produce such fruit and vegetable, non-thermal plasma is used to kill bacteria and other microorganisms attached to a product’s surface, or to degrade the pesticide residues coating the product. These contaminants affect product quality in a certain way thus, they could reduce the profit gain by producers, handlers, and sellers. Some mechanisms explained how non-thermal plasma reduce the level of contaminant have been proposed by researchers. The point are the reactive species damage the cell wall of microorganisms making them non-viable or damaged, and they could react to pesticide compounds as well and degrade them to less harmful compounds. However, the same reactive species not only react to target-matter but also react to product tissues around the plasma applied and affect the quality of the treated product. This paper reviews the effect of non-thermal plasma on fresh product quality from physical, physiological, chemical, and microbiological viewpoints.
Copyrights © 2023