Effect of Plasma Activated Water (PAW) on Fruits and Vegetables

Abstract

In recent time, the consumption of fruits and vegetables has raised, the variety of pathogens of fresh fruits and vegetables has enhanced, and it's believed that pathogens are capable to resisting the stress conditions that are major causes of fresh produce related food-borne ill health. In order to ensure microbial safety and reduce nutrient loss, non-thermal plasma technology has received increasing attention in food preservation applications. Non-thermal plasma has high reactivity and has potential applications in food safety, nutritional quality and environmental safety. Plasma activated water (PAW) abundant source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species, which can inactive the microorganisms. In addition to its bactericidal activity, it can also be used to degrade pesticide residues and antibiotic residues in water and packaging materials. Non-thermal plasma is applied to water to generate plasma-activated water, potentially applied in fruits and vegetables in recent years. PAW has been successfully applied as washing agent or disinfect agent in fruits and vegetables. In addition, it can inactivate food-borne pathogens on fruit and vegetable contact surfaces and on fruits and vegetables without adverse effect on the environment and human health. Reported findings indicates that plasma activated water has the least affect the sensory parameters and quality of fruits and vegetables. Therefore, it can be potentially applied in fruits and vegetables industry as substitute of traditional washing agent i.e. chlorinated water, quaternary ammonium salts etc. Furthermore, High bactericidal ability and easy to produce plasma activated water function can be used in every food field, such as meat, dairy products, fruits and vegetables and grains. However, the chemistry of PAW is taken into account to be extraordinarily complicated, and controlling the reaction is one in all the challenges for future analysis. Furthermore, it also requires from regulatory agencies to generally recognize as a safe (GRAS) status.