Cold plasma interactions with food ingredients functionality

In recent years, increasing interest has been in exploring cold plasma applications in agri-food systems beyond bio-decontamination. In the early period, the application of cold plasma in the agri-food sector was focused primarily on microbial inactivation. However, the research perspective has widened due to the multifunctional mechanisms of action attributable to cold plasma, which now encompass applications such as pesticide degradation, seed germination, food functionality, food packaging modifications, and plasma-functionalised liquids. Cold plasma processes can be designed to be cost-effective, sustainable, non-thermal, and offer system and process design versatility. Foods present complex systems consisting of major compounds (water, carbohydrates, proteins, and lipids) and minor compounds (vitamins, minerals, and color). These compounds work individually as well as synergistically, giving sensory, texture, and quality characteristics of food. Understanding the effect of cold plasma on these food matrices and ingredient attributes is significant for its adoption as an alternative food processing technique. A complete understanding of the mechanism of action, interactions with food matrix functionality, and control over the food quality is required to commercialise cold plasma technology.