Cold plasma to control biofilms on food and in the food-processing environment

Biofilms are communities of microorganisms that live attached to a surface, embedded in a protective extracellular matrix. Food presents a favourable substrate for biofilm formation because it provides nutrients and good environmental conditions for microorganisms to thrive. In addition, surfaces in the food industry are in constant contact with new foods that can bring nutrients and/or new microorganisms to a biofilm. Biofilms often show a high resistance to disinfection methods (e.g., antibiotics and chemical treatments) and are the cause of foodborne illnesses and food spoilage. Non-thermal or cold atmospheric-pressure plasma (CAP) is being investigated as a new technology for the disinfection of thermally labile materials (including food) and food-contact surfaces. CAP consists of a mix of reactive chemical species and charged particles that have antibacterial activity. This chapter describes the use of CAP to eliminate biofilms and discusses examples of its application in the food industry.