Applications of cold plasma technology in food packaging

•Overview of cold plasma theory and equipment.•Applications of cold plasma for food packaging.•Applications of cold plasma for modification of surface energy, enhancement of adhesion and printability.•Packaging decontamination.•New trends in the development of in-package decontamination.

Cold plasma technology is an emerging, green process offering many potential applications for food packaging. While it was originally developed to increase the surface energy of polymers, enhancing adhesion and printability, it has recently emerged as a powerful tool for surface decontamination of both foodstuffs and food packaging materials. New trends aim to develop in-package decontamination, offering non-thermal treatment of foods post-packaging. This paper provides an overview of cold plasma theory, equipment and summarises recent advances in the modification of polymeric food packaging materials along with potential applications in the food industry.