Abstract:

Nowadays, the demand for the consumption of healthy foods is increasing day by day. Although fruits, vegetables, and foods made from them come first among these foods, meat and meat products are of great importance. However, there have been reports of food poisoning from such meals. Furthermore, problems are encountered in exports due to the microbial load of many such products. Different chemicals are used to reduce the microbial load of these products. However, due to the residue, these compounds are not utilized in many countries. Therefore, different methods are being investigated, and new technologies are being developed. Hydrostatic pressure, ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, irradiation, and pulsed light are some of these technologies. The purpose of this review is to investigate the possibilities of using the cold plasma system, which is one of these technologies, for the sterilization of foods. In simple terms, cold plasma is the fourth state of matter and is defined as a gaseous composition of ionic gas, polar ions, and gas atoms produced under atmospheric or low-pressure conditions. In addition to the many advantages of cold plasma, it has the possibility of being used for different purposes. Besides surface disinfection and detoxification, it is also used in the sterilization of packaged products, fresh fruits and vegetables, liquid foods, and meat and meat products.

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