Cold plasma applications in agri-food processing and packaging

Cold plasma has emerged from a nascent research stage to a technology of industrial-scale relevance for the agri-food sector. Conventional thermal and chemical preservation methods degrade heat-sensitive nutrients and generate persistent chemical residues, underscoring the need for safer and sustainable alternatives. Cold plasma is a non-thermal processing technology that generates ionized gases containing reactive oxygen-nitrogen species (RONS) through electrical discharge at near-ambient temperatures. Unlike previous reviews that focused on isolated applications, this review systematically examines cold plasma performance across the entire agri-food chain, spanning soil remediation, seed priming, decontamination, food processing, packaging enhancement, and waste valorization. Moreover, a preliminary comparative technoeconomic assessment of apple juice processing yields a minimum selling price of $0.69 USD/kg for cold plasma under the reference scenario. This approaches the high-temperature short-time benchmark ($0.68 USD/kg) and remains more favorable than high-pressure processing ($0.72 USD/kg) and pulsed electric fields ($0.71 USD/kg). However, residual RONS accumulation, N-nitroso compound formation in protein-rich matrices, plasma-induced allergenicity, and non-intentionally added substance migration from treated packaging represent unresolved toxicological concerns. International adoption is further constrained by the lack of a unified regulatory framework between the FDA, USDA-FSIS, and the EU Novel Food Regulation 2015/2283. Future research should prioritize mechanistic understanding of RONS-matrix interactions, standardized parameter reporting, pilot-scale validation, and harmonized safety frameworks to establish standardized treatment parameters and facilitate their wider adoption.