Innovative strategy for fabricating nanomaterials to ensure food safety by cold plasma: Principles, mechanisms, and applications

Abstract

BackgroundThe utilization of nanomaterials to ensure food safety has been attracting more attention in recent years. The fabrication of nanomaterials is obviously important and also challenging. Conventional nanomaterials fabrication methods including mechanical, hydrothermal, and vapour phase deposition have the disadvantages of high energy consumption, low yield, insufficient control precision, and environmental pollution. Cold plasma as an innovative strategy, comprising ions, electrons, atoms, free radicals, and neutral particles, is very beneficial to fabricate nanomaterials. Scope and approachThis review summarizes the principles and progress of cold plasma-fabricated nanomaterials including inorganic nanomaterials, carbon nanomaterials, framework nanomaterials, and biomass nanomaterials. Various applications of cold plasma-fabricated nanomaterials in food safety for antimicrobial, detection and removal of contaminants, and food packaging are also detailly discussed. The advantages, limitations, and prospects of cold plasma-fabricated nanomaterials for food safety applications are pointed out. Key findings and conclusionsCold plasma fabrication is environmentally friendly, producing minimal waste and reducing the need for harsh chemicals, aligning with sustainable practices in the food industry. Cold plasma-fabricated nanomaterials have applications in antimicrobial, detection, and removal of pollutant residues, food packaging, and other food safety applications. Future studies should further explore the methodology, safety evaluation, and application of cold plasma preparation of nanomaterials to promote their practical application in the field of food safety.