Study on the microflora changes and storage quality of chilled fresh chicken treated by cold plasma combined with plasma activated water

Chilled fresh chicken is highly favored by consumers owing to its high protein and low fat content, yet it remains at high risk of microbial contamination. This study combined cold plasma (CP) with subsequent plasma activated water (PAW) treatment (CP-PAW) as a preservation method for chilled fresh chicken and, investigated its effects on microflora, proteomics, and storage quality. The results demonstrated that CP-PAW treatment significantly decreased microflora diversity and reduced the relative abundance of the dominant spoilage bacterial genus Pseudomonas by 36% in chilled fresh chicken. In addition, CP-PAW treatment altered the expression of proteins involved in intracellular transport, oxidative stress response, and proteolysis, thereby affecting protein quality and function in chilled fresh chicken. The total colony counts, total volatile basic nitrogen, and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances of the CP-PAW treated group were reduced by 2.37 log CFU/g, 3.31 mg/100 g and 0.51 mg/kg, respectively, compared with untreated groups during the storage period. These findings indicate that CP-PAW treatment inhibited spoilage, delayed fat oxidation and protein decomposition, and produced limited or acceptable color changes in chilled fresh chicken. The preservation effect of CP-PAW treatment was linked to the formation of active substances such as ozone, nitrite, and hydrogen peroxide, which lowed the pH and increased the conductivity in PAW. In conclusion, regulation of microflora and protein metabolism jointly retarded protein degradation and lipid oxidation, explaining CP-PAW’s preservation performance in enhancing the storage quality of chilled fresh chicken.