Review about cold plasma used for drying food products

Drying is an important and influential process to prolong the shelf-life of food in the food industry. Recent studies have shown that cold plasma (CP) as an emerging drying pretreatment technology can improve drying performance, reduce drying energy consumption, and improve dried food quality. This paper comprehensively reviewed the mechanism of CP improving drying performance, related equipment, energy consumption, influencing factors, and impact on drying quality. This review also discusses the advantages and disadvantages and proposes possible challenges and suggestions for future research. Most studies indicated that CP pretreatment could improve the drying rate and quality and reduce the drying energy consumption. CP can promote moisture diffusion and improve drying efficiency by etching the surface and affecting the internal microstructure. In addition, CP can enhance the quality of dried products by reducing drying time and enzyme activity. Further research is needed to explore the drying mechanisms and equipment innovations to promote the application of CP in the food drying industry. SourcesImproving food drying performance by cold plasma pretreatment: A systematic reviewYuhang Du,Fangwei Yang,Hang Yu,Yunfei Xie,Weirong YaoComprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food SafetyFirst published: 29 August 2022 https://doi.org/10.1111/1541-4337.13027 PictureAndria da C. Loureiro et al., Cold plasma technique as a pretreatment for drying fruits: Evaluation of the excitation frequency on drying process and bioactive compoundsFood Research International Volume 147, September 2021, 110462https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0963996921003616