Research Progress in the Application of Cold Plasma Sterilization Technology in Dairy Products

Abstract

Cold plasma (or non-thermal plasma) is one of the popular non-thermal processing technologies in recent years. Cold plasma technology is expected to be used as a rapid non-thermal sterilization technology in dairy processing. However, an unoptimized cold plasma process may lead to quality deterioration of dairy products, such as lipid oxidation and odor generation. Therefore, this article provides a review of the classification and mechanism of cold plasma sterilization technology and its potential impact on dairy products, with the aim of offering theoretical support for the application of cold plasma sterilization technology in the dairy industry. Future studies on cold plasma need to consider the preservation of the quality and sensory acceptability of dairy products while effectively inactivating microorganisms.

Keywords

• cold plasma; sterilization; dairy products