Effect and Action Mechanism of Cold Plasma Technology on Food Components

Cold plasma (CP) technology, an emerging non-thermal technology, has attracted widespread attentions in food fields for the advantages of safety, no needs for chemical agents and low-energy-consumption. Cold plasma can release ultraviolet rays and active substances (such as reactive oxygen radicals, reactive nitrogen radicals, hydroxyl radicals and ions) in the excitation process. The reactive species can induce etching and cross-linking of biomacromolecules, or modify the structure and functional groups of food components (such as lipids, proteins and starches), consequently affecting the sensory and flavor qualities of food. This paper summarizes the effects and action mechanism of CP on food components (protein, lipids, starch), victim, polyphenols. The present existing problems and future developments of CP technology are discussed and proposed. This paper would provide a theoretical guides for facilitating the application of CP technology in food industry.