Advances in reactive species monitoring for in-package cold plasma decontamination

Cold plasma (CP) is emerging as a promising in-package food microbial disinfection technology, offering a novel approach to enhance food safety by preventing postprocess contamination. During the in-package CP process, complex chemical reactions generate reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, which are essential for inactivating harmful microorganisms and ensuring the safety of food products. However, due to the complexity of CP generation system, efficient and accurate monitoring of these reactive species is critical for optimizing the decontamination process and ensuring microbial control. This review highlights the advances in diagnostic techniques for tracking reactive species during in-package CP decontamination and discusses future directions for improving reactive species monitoring.