Cold Plasma 360°: A Multifunctional Strategy for Fruit Preservation Through Microbial Inactivation and Nutritional Enhancement With Emerging Focus on Diverse Fruit Varieties

Fruits are rich source of diverse phytochemical compounds such as vitamins, flavonoids, polyphenols, and antioxidants but susceptible to quick spoilage by enzymatic browning, microbial spoilage, and postharvest losses. Emerging non‐thermal preservation techniques are employed in recent years with its advanced potential to enhance freshness and fruit safety as conventional preservation methods normally deteriorate the sensory attributes and nutritional profile of the fruits. This review highlights the latest application of cold plasma technology for preservation of fresh and minimally processed fruits and fruit products. It discusses the mechanisms of microbial and enzyme inactivation and nutrient conservation, as well as different cold plasma setup types including plasma jets, glow discharge, corona, dielectric barrier discharge, microwave, and gliding arc discharges. This review also provides a critical synthesis of existing studies on cold plasma–based preservation, with a particular emphasis on how processing variables (gas composition, voltage, exposure time, treatment configuration, and hurdle combinations) govern microbial inactivation, enzyme control, and nutritional and sensory responses in fruit matrices. Cold plasma shows antimicrobial potential by producing reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS), which disrupt microbial structures and lead to the inactivation of pathogens including Salmonella spp., E. coli , and Botrytis cinerea . Beyond microbial control, it helps retain heat‐sensitive nutrients such as ascorbic acid and anthocyanins. Moreover, it suppresses enzymes activity like polyphenol oxidase and pectin methylesterase, thereby reducing browning and preserving textural quality. Burgeoning studies need efforts to emphasize optimization treatment of citrus fruits, clarifying the mechanistic pathways, and advancing scale‐up strategies for sustainable industrial adoption.