High-Quality Manufacturing of Packaged Fresh Produce with Conformable In-Package Cold Atmospheric Plasma*

Atmospheric pressure plasma has been shown to aid in food decontamination due to the presence of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. In the past, this application has been limited due to high voltage requirements and the need for rigid electrodes that do not conform to the complex geometries of produce. A conformable low-cost dielectric barrier discharge device was developed to operate inside containers and deliver reactive oxygen and nitrogen species to the produce.¹ These flexible electrodes need to be characterized to better understand the gas-phase chemistry being produced and transported to the surface of the produce. The devices are electrically characterized to find the discharge current and dissipated power. They are also analyzed using absolutely calibrated optical emission spectroscopy to find plasma parameters.² These devices have also been shown to have antibacterial effects on both cells in culture and on the surface of produce. Cell culture experiments have shown a 6 log reduction in L. innocua bacteria. These results will be used to modify and optimize the design of the flexible electrodes with the goal of minimizing energy consumption and maximize decontamination efficiency. 

 

[1] Jingjin et al. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2017.

[2] Kogelheide et al. Plasma Processes and Polymers, 2019.