Review

Innovative application of cold plasma technology in meat and its products

Dinesh Jayasena1,, Taemin Kang2,, Kaushalya Wijayasekara1, Cheorun Jo2,3,*
Author Information & Copyright
1Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Animal Science and Export Agriculture, Uva Wellassa University, Badulla 90000, Sri Lanka
2Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Center for Food and Bioconvergence, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
3Institute of Green Bio Science and Technology, Seoul National University, Pyeongchang 25354, Korea

† These authors contributed equally to this work.

*Corresponding Author: Cheorun Jo. Phone: +8228804804. E-mail: cheorun@snu.ac.kr.

© Copyright 2023 Korean Society for Food Science of Animal Resources. This is an Open-Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/) which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Received: May 29, 2023 ; Revised: Jun 16, 2023 ; Accepted: Jun 16, 2023

Published Online: Jul 12, 2023

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable food production and the rising consumer preference for fresh, healthy, and safe food products have been driving the need for innovative methods for processing and preserving food. In the meat industry, this demand has led to the development of new interventions aimed at extending the shelf life of meats and its products while maintaining their quality and nutritional value. Cold plasma has recently emerged as a subject of great interest in the meat industry due to its potential to enhance the microbiological safety of meat and its products. This review discusses the latest research on the possible application of cold plasma in the meat processing industry, considering its effects on various quality attributes and its potential for meat preservation and enhancement. In this regard, many studies have reported substantial antimicrobial efficacy of cold plasma technology in beef, pork, lamb and chicken, and their products with negligible changes in their physicochemical attributes. Further, the application of cold plasma in meat processing has shown promising results as a potential novel curing agent for cured meat products. Understanding the mechanisms of action and the interactions between cold plasma and food ingredients is crucial for further exploring the potential of this technology in the meat industry, ultimately leading to the development of safe and high-quality meat products using cold plasma technology.

Keywords: cold plasma; food safety; microbicidal efficacy; hurdles; innovative curing