Inactivation effect of dielectric barrier discharge plasma against foodborne pathogens on the surfaces of different packaging materials

• DBD plasma was used for surface disinfection of common food packaging materials.
• Time-dependent inactivation of E. coli O157:H7, S. typhimurium and S. aureus by the plasma treatment
• The inactivation pattern of the pathogens fitted well to a log-linear and tail model.
• Physicomechanical properties of packaging materials were unaffected by the DBD plasma exposure.

The usefulness of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma for surface disinfection of the common food packaging materials, namely glass, polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, and paper foil was evaluated. DBD plasma was generated by applying a pulsed DC voltage of 10 kV and at a power of 208 W. The separation distance between the electrodes was 2.65 mm. On exposure of food pathogens-loaded packaging materials to the plasma, > 4 log/cm2 reduction (99.99%) in viable cell counts of Escherichia coli O157:H7 was observed in 10 min. The other two tested pathogen strains, Salmonella typhimurium and Staphylococcus aureus, were inactivated in the range 3.0–3.5 log/cm2. The inactivation pattern of the pathogens fitted well to the log-linear and tail model. Compared to unexposed packaging materials, no significant (p > 0.05) changes in the surface temperatures, optical characteristics, tensile strengths, and strain-induced deformation were observed for the DBD plasma-exposed materials. Therefore, the DBD plasma can be used to disinfect surfaces of different food packaging materials harboring moderate levels of bacterial contaminants without adversely affecting their physicomechanical properties.Industrial relevanceTraditionally, dry heat, steam, UV light and chemicals like ethylene oxide and hydrogen peroxide have been used as surface sterilants and disinfectants for packaging materials in the food industry. However, certain limitations have motivated the search for new approaches. Cold plasma technology is an emerging, green process for surface sterilization. The DBD plasma was found to be effective in reducing the bacterial food pathogens on different food packaging materials. As the technology is simple and scalable, it can be readily applied industrially.