Short communicationInhibition of Salmonella typhimurium on radish sprouts using nitrogen-cold plasma

•N2-cold plasma treatment inhibits S. typhimurium on radish sprouts.•N2-cold plasma treatment (CPT) does not alter the appearance or odor of the sprouts.•S. typhimurium inhibition and water content decrease are treatment-time dependent.•CPT effectively inhibits the growth of S. typhimurium during storage at 4 °C.•The storability of radish sprouts is not significantly affected by CPT.

This study investigated the effects of cold plasma treatment (CPT) on the inhibition of Salmonella typhimurium on radish sprouts and the quality attributes of the sprouts. Radish sprouts were treated with nitrogen (N2)-cold plasma at 900 W and 667 Pa for 0, 2, 5, 10, and 20 min using a microwave-powered CPT system. The sensory attributes of the radish sprouts, appearance and odor, were evaluated before and after the treatment. The effects of N2-CPT for 10 min on microbial growth and the quality attributes of the radish sprouts were evaluated during storage for 12 days at 4 and 10 °C. N2-CPT at 900 W and 667 Pa for 20 min reduced the number of S. typhimurium by 2.6 ± 0.4 log CFU/g. The moisture content of the radish sprouts decreased with treatment time. The appearance and odor of the radish sprouts were not altered by CPT (p > 0.05) and this treatment did not affect the quality attributes of the sprouts in terms of color, ascorbic acid concentration, or antioxidant activity during storage at both 4 and 10 °C. These findings suggest that CPT has the potential to improve the microbiological safety of radish sprouts with reference to S. typhimurium during cold storage without significant detriment to its quality properties.