Consequences of non-thermal cold plasma treatment on meat and dairy lipids - A review

Cold plasma is non-thermal processing, which has gained popularity recently due to its environment-friendly and economic nature. Cold plasma is extensively used in the food processing industry to produce safe and nutritious food with higher nutritional and sensory attributes. However, during cold plasma, there is a generation of reactive species that interact with food components and adversely affect food components, especially lipids. Dairy and meat products are high in lipids, and the reactive species generated during cold plasma processing stimulates the oxidation of these lipids, thereby deteriorating food quality. This lipid oxidation can affect the acceptability of food by consumers and reduce keeping quality of food. It is crucial to address the oxidative effect of cold plasma in foods like dairy and meat products. Optimization of process parameters, altering the composition of carrier gas and careful handling with storage of treated food in an airtight environment can prevent the negative effect of cold plasma treatment on lipids in dairy and meat products.