Preserving wheat flour with cellulose nanocomposite packaging and cold plasma treatment: Eliminating fungal contamination and improving functionality

Abstract

The main aim of the present study was to produce uncontaminated flour that preserves its quality without undergoing any alterations. The present study investigated the effects of cold plasma treatment, carboxymethyl cellulose/polyvinyl alcohol/nanoclay (CMC/PVA/nanoclay—CPN) packaging, and the combined treatment of cold plasma and cellulose nanocomposite packaging on wheat flour's shelf life and quality during storage. Our findings strongly suggest that the synergistic application of cold plasma treatment and CPN packaging holds remarkable potential for the complete decontamination of A. flavus. In terms of wheat flour functionality, our results highlight the superior performance of the combined approach of cold plasma treatment and CPN packaging when compared to their individual utilization and the control group. However, it should be noted that there appears to be a decline in the preservation of wheat flour quality during storage. A. flavus was effectively eradicated from flour samples through plasma treatment at 12 and 15 kV voltage levels. However, this treatment had notable effects on dry and wet gluten and starch compositions. Our results suggest combining CPN packaging with cold plasma treatment is viable for extending wheat flour's gluten and starch content during storage. Treatment B, with 10 kV applied for 7 min, and Treatment C, with 10 kV applied for 10 min, exhibit positive preservation results. The above findings contribute to understanding and advancing techniques to effectively preserve flour-based culinary products' quality and nutritional value.