Innovative Pathogen Reduction in Exported Sea Bass Through Atmospheric Cold Plasma Technology
Şehnaz Yasemin Tosun,
Sehban Kartal,
Tamer Akan,
Sühendan Mol,
Serap Coşansu,
Didem Üçok,
Şafak Ulusoy,
Hande Doğruyol,
Kamil Bostan
Affiliations
Şehnaz Yasemin Tosun
Department of Seafood Processing Technology, Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, Kalenderhane, Onaltı Mart Şehitleri St., No. 2, Vezneciler-Fatih, 34134 Istanbul, Türkiye
Sehban Kartal
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Istanbul University, Vezneciler, 34452 Istanbul, Türkiye
Tamer Akan
Department of Physics, Faculty of Science, Eskişehir Osmangazi University, 26040 Eskişehir, Türkiye
Sühendan Mol
Department of Seafood Processing Technology, Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, Kalenderhane, Onaltı Mart Şehitleri St., No. 2, Vezneciler-Fatih, 34134 Istanbul, Türkiye
Serap Coşansu
Department of Food Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Sakarya University, 54050 Sakarya, Türkiye
Didem Üçok
Department of Seafood Processing Technology, Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, Kalenderhane, Onaltı Mart Şehitleri St., No. 2, Vezneciler-Fatih, 34134 Istanbul, Türkiye
Şafak Ulusoy
Department of Seafood Processing Technology, Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, Kalenderhane, Onaltı Mart Şehitleri St., No. 2, Vezneciler-Fatih, 34134 Istanbul, Türkiye
Hande Doğruyol
Department of Food Safety, Faculty of Aquatic Sciences, Istanbul University, Fatih, 34134 Istanbul, Türkiye
Kamil Bostan
Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, Faculty of Fine Arts, Istanbul Aydın University, Küçükçekmece, 34295 Istanbul, Türkiye
The safety of sea bass is critical for the global food trade. This study evaluated the effectiveness of atmospheric cold plasma in reducing food safety risks posed by Salmonella Enteritidis and Listeria monocytogenes, which can contaminate sea bass post harvest. Cold plasma was applied to inoculated sea bass for 2 to 18 min, achieving a maximum reduction of 1.43 log CFU/g for S. Enteritidis and 0.80 log CFU/g for L. monocytogenes at 18 min. Longer treatments resulted in greater reductions; however, odor and taste quality declined to a below average quality in samples treated for 12 min or longer. Plasma treatment did not significantly alter the color, texture, or water activity (aw) of the fish. Higher levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARSs) were observed with increased exposure times. Cold plasma was also tested in vitro on S. Enteritidis and L. monocytogenes on agar surfaces. A 4 min treatment eliminated the initial loads of S. Enteritidis (2.71 log CFU) and L. monocytogenes (2.98 log CFU). The findings highlight the potential of cold plasma in enhancing the safety of naturally contaminated fish. Cold plasma represents a promising technology for improving food safety in the global fish trade and continues to be a significant area of research in food science.
