非热杀菌技术在冷链生鲜食品中杀菌消毒的研究进展

新型冠状病毒在全球范围内大流行，冷链生鲜食品及外包装作为新型冠状病毒潜在远程传播载体，增加了病毒通过“物传人”的感染风险。非热杀菌技术是一类新型杀菌技术，无需热能消耗即可杀灭食品中有害或致病微生物，避免了传统热杀菌技术传热相对较慢和对杀菌对象产生热损伤等缺点，将该技术应用于生鲜食品中不仅能有效阻断病毒传播，还能在食品保鲜和延长货架期方面发挥积极作用。本文主要介绍了适用于冷链环节中生鲜食品表面及外包装的非热杀菌技术，包括化学消毒剂、紫外线辐射、臭氧消毒、低温等离子体等，并从不同非热杀菌技术的工作机制、对病原体的灭活作用、对冷链过程中生鲜食品的保鲜效果进行阐述，以期为非热杀菌技术在冷链生鲜食品中的杀菌消毒应用提供理论指导，为保障冷链生鲜食品安全提供一定参考。     

Recent developments in cold plasma decontamination technology in the food industry

BackgroundThe advent of the 21^st century has witnessed a growing demand of safe and nutritious foods. The food industry is adopting novel non-thermal food processing technologies. Cold plasma is one such promising non-thermal food processing method which uses charged, highly reactive gaseous molecules and species to inactivate contaminating microorganisms on foods and packaging materials.Scope and approachThe paper gives the reader an overview of the cold plasma technology in food industry. It reviews principles of plasma generation, including mechanisms of action of the process on microorganisms. It also highlights different plasma generation systems, various published results of plasma application to inactivate microorganisms in vitro and in various food products, food packages and equipment surfaces. The challenges of the process, its effects on food quality and the future prospects are highlighted.Key findings and conclusionsThis article aims to review and apprise readers about the important fundamentals and latest trends in the Cold Plasma technology. The on-going studies on plasma technology prove that cold plasma is strongly effective for surface decontamination, with efforts in-progress for liquid processing. The short time of application causes no significant deterioration in food products. Thus, it is an apt alternative processing technology which could also help to counter food allergenicity, seed germination, packaging material printing, waste-water treatment, modify food functionality, extract bio-actives etc. Further research is needed for scaling-up of this process for future commercialization.     

Opportunities and challenges in application of ultrasound in food processing

The demand for convenience foods of the highest quality in terms of natural flavor and taste, and which are free from additives and preservatives, has spurred the need for the development of a number of non-thermal approaches to food processing, of which ultrasound technology has proven to be very valuable. Increasing number of recent publications have demonstrated the potential of this technology in food processing. A combination of ultrasound with pressure and/or heat is a promising alternative for the rapid inactivation of microorganisms and enzymes. Therefore, novel techniques like thermosonication, manosonication, and manothermosonication may be a more relevant energy-efficient processing alternative for the food industry in times to come. This review aims at identifying the opportunities and challenges associated with this technology. In addition to discussing the effects of ultrasound on foods, this review covers various areas that have been identified as having great potential for future development. It has been realized that ultrasound has much to offer to the food industry such as inactivation of microorganisms and enzymes, crystallization, drying, degassing, extraction, filtration, homogenization, meat tenderization, oxidation, sterilization, etc., including efficiency enhancement of various operations and online detection of contaminants in foods. Selected practical examples in the food industry have been presented and discussed. A brief account of the challenges in adopting this technology for industrial development has also been included.     

Principles and recent applications of novel non-thermal processing technologies for the fish industry—a review

Thermal treatment is a traditional method for food processing, which can kill microorganisms but also lead to physicochemical and sensory quality damage, especially to temperature-sensitive foods. Nowadays consumers’ increasing interest in microbial safety products with premium appearance, flavor, great nutritional value and extended shelf-life has promoted the development of emerging non-thermal food processing technologies as alternative or substitution to traditional thermal methods. Fish is an important and world-favored food but has a short shelf-life due to its extremely perishable characteristic, and the microbial spoilage and oxidative process happen rapidly just from the moment of capture, making it dependent heavily on post-harvest preservation. The applications of novel non-thermal food processing technologies, including high pressure processing (HPP), ultrasound (US), pulsed electric fields (PEF), pulsed light (PL), cold plasma (CP) and ozone can extend the shelf-life by microbial inactivation and also keep good sensory quality attributes of fish, which is of high interest for the fish industry. This review presents the principles, developments of emerging non-thermal food processing technologies, and also their applications in fish industry, with the main focus on microbial inactivation and sensory quality. The promising results showed great potential to keep microbial safety while maintaining organoleptic attributes of fish products. What’s more, the strengths and weaknesses of these technologies are also discussed. The combination of different food processing technologies or with advanced packaging methods can improve antimicrobial efficacy while not significantly affect other quality properties under optimized treatment.     

脉冲电场在固体食品加工中的应用

脉冲电场(PEF)技术被视为21世纪食品非热加工技术发展史上的里程碑之一。迄今为止,PEF已广泛应用于果汁、牛奶和液态蛋等液体食品的杀菌和钝酶,并朝着商业化道路前进。然而,与PEF在液体食品中的应用相比,其在固体食品中的应用还处于起步阶段。固体食品的表面虽然也富含微生物,但PEF处理这类食品对微生物的影响较小,因此不能将其应用于固体食品的杀菌保鲜。仅管如此,PEF诱导的细胞电穿孔使其可作为一种预处理方法,通过增加质量和能量传递效率的方式来进行辅助固体食品的干燥、冻融、烹饪等。因此,本文重点介绍基于PEF细胞响应的高品质食品加工应用,总结PEF处理室的特点及PEF预处理固体食品的相关机理。最后,本文探讨了PEF在固体食品加工中的主要障碍和前景,为PEF未来在食品行业的发展拓宽研究方向。     

Bacterial spore inactivation induced by cold plasma

ABSTRACT

Cold plasma has emerged as a non-thermal technology for microbial inactivation in the food industry over the last decade. Spore-forming microorganisms pose challenges for microbiological safety and for the prevention of food spoilage. Inactivation of spores induced by cold plasma has been reported by several studies. However, the exact mechanism of spore deactivation by cold plasma is poorly understood; therefore, it is difficult to control this process and to optimize cold plasma processing for efficient spore inactivation. In this review, we summarize the factors that affect the resistance of spores to cold plasma, including processing parameters, environmental elements, and spore properties. We then describe possible inactivation targets in spore cells (e.g., outer structure, DNA, and metabolic proteins) that associated with inactivation by cold plasma according to previous studies. Kinetic models of the sporicidal activity of cold plasma have also been described here. A better understanding of the interaction between spores and cold plasma is essential for the development and optimization of cold plasma technology in food the industry.     

Inactivation of foodborne pathogens by the synergistic combinations of food processing technologies and food‐grade compounds

There is a need to develop food processing technologies with enhanced antimicrobial capacity against foodborne pathogens. While considering the challenges of adequate inactivation of pathogenic microorganisms in different food matrices, the emerging technologies are also expected to be sustainable and have a minimum impact on food quality and nutrients. Synergistic combinations of food processing technologies and food‐grade compounds have a great potential to address these needs. During these combined treatments, food processes directly or indirectly interact with added chemicals, intensifying the overall antimicrobial effect. This review provides an overview of the combinations of different thermal or nonthermal processes with a variety of food‐grade compounds that show synergistic antimicrobial effect against pathogenic microorganisms in foods and model systems. Further, we summarize the underlying mechanisms for representative combined treatments that are responsible for the enhanced microbial inactivation. Finally, regulatory issues and challenges for further development and technical transfer of these new approaches at the industrial level are also discussed.     

Emerging food processing technologies and factors impacting their industrial adoption

Abstract

Innovative food processing technologies have been widely investigated in food processing research in recent years. These technologies offer key advantages for advancing the preservation and quality of conventional foods, for combatting the growing challenges posed by globalization, increased competitive pressures and diverse consumer demands. However, there is a need to increase the level of adoption of novel technologies to ensure the potential benefits of these technologies are exploited more by the food industry. This review outlines emerging thermal and non-thermal food processing technologies with regard to their mechanisms, applications and commercial aspects. The level of adoption of novel food processing technologies by the food industry is outlined and the factors that impact their industrial adoption are discussed. At an industry level, the technological capabilities of individual companies, their size, market share as well as their absorptive capacity impact adoption of a novel technology. Characteristics of the technology itself such as costs involved in its development and commercialization, associated risks and relative advantage, and level of complexity and compatibility influence the technology's adoption. The review concludes that a deep understanding of the development and application of a technology along with the factors influencing its acceptance are critical to ensure its commercial adoption.     

Titanium dioxide (TiO2) photocatalysis technology for nonthermal inactivation of microorganisms in foods

BackgroundMicrobial contamination is a serious challenge in the food industry. With the increasing demand for fresh, nutritious and healthy food, novel techniques for microbial inactivation are highly needed. By absorbing photoenergy, titanium dioxide (TiO₂) based photocatalyst can produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are capable of inactivating microorganisms.Scope and approachThis review summarizes recent research developments of TiO₂ photocatalysis (TPC) for antibacterial applications in liquid, gas and solid systems in the food industry. Basic principles of TPC, the mechanism of photocatalytic inactivation, and strategies for improving photoactivity are described, and applications of TPC for decomposing organic substances are presented. Furthermore, applications of combining TPC with other technologies are also discussed.Conclusionsand key findings: The review shows that TPC technology has the ability to inactivate foodborne microorganisms, but with some drawbacks such as catalyst deactivation and low utilization of visible light. Modification can widen the light response into visible range and improve the photoactivity. The combined technologies can enhance the effectiveness of microbial inactivation. However, further study is still needed to improve both photocatalytic disinfection efficiency and food quality maintenance.     

Biofilms in the food industry: problems and potential solutions

Contamination of food by spoilage and pathogenic micro‐organisms costs the food industry millions of dollars annually. Much of this contamination may be attributed to the presence of biofilms in the processing plant. In this review, we examine the properties of micro‐organisms and the surfaces of processing equipment that influence the formation of biofilms. Of particular concern is the increased resistance of biofilms to cleaning and disinfection processes. Alternative means of controlling biofilm development are described and some aspects where more information is required are identified.     

Diagnostics of plasma reactive species and induced chemistry of plasma treated foods

Cold plasma is a promising technique that has been tested as a process technology for a range of food commodities, mainly to destroy microorganisms, but also aimed at toxin degradation, enzyme inactivation, residual pesticide degradation and functionalization of food properties. Plasma has already been employed by industry for food packaging material sterilization and surface modification. As most of the current literature on cold plasma in the field of food science is focused on microbial inactivation efficacy, the information about its chemical influences on food is sparse. To better understand the chemical interactions of with plasma, this review focuses on plasma chemistry diagnostics techniques available to characterize the plasma reactive species generated. Equally important is the detection of induced chemistry in the food and here we present approaches to analyze likely reactions with key food bio-molecules. Such analysis will support mechanistic insights involved in these complex chemical reactions (i.e., DNA, lipid and protein) along with potential physical modifications of the food structure. For successful adoption of plasma as a food processing aid it is critical to elucidate these interactions as they have an important role in demonstrating the technology’s safety as a food processing technique along with understanding any effect on food nutrients.     

等离子体活化水在食品工业中应用研究进展

等离子体活化水(Plasma-activated water,PAW)具有活性组分含量高、低pH和氧化还原电位较高等特点,具有杀菌、抗生物被膜、促进种子萌发和幼苗生长等功能。作为一种新型的环境友好型非热加工技术,PAW在食品工业中的潜在应用前景受到广泛关注。本文综述了PAW在食品杀菌保鲜、肉制品护色、细菌生物被膜控制等领域中的应用研究,为PAW技术在食品工业中的广泛应用提供参考。     

食品加工过程中细菌生物被膜的危害及控制

生物被膜中的微生物生活在一个由胞外聚合物（EPS）形成的环境中,它的形成是微生物生长过程中的一个保护模式,允许细胞在恶劣的环境中生存并分散到新的环境中。食品加工过程中有害菌形成的生物被膜对食品工业的危害极大,可使微生物残存增加,加工设备无法严格清洗、消毒,导致产品受到污染。该文在收集、研究现有文献的基础上归纳介绍了生物被膜的特点及其形成过程和形成机制,概述了生物被膜的危害、控制及检测方法,旨在提高人们对生物被膜的认识,推动该领域的研究发展。     

New trends in the development of photodynamic inactivation against planktonic microorganisms and their biofilms in food system

The photodynamic inactivation (PDI) is a novel and effective nonthermal inactivation technology. This review provides a comprehensive overview on the bactericidal ability of endogenous photosensitizers (PSs)-mediated and exogenous PSs-mediated PDI against planktonic bacteria and their biofilms, as well as fungi. In general, the PDI exhibited a broad-spectrum ability in inactivating planktonic bacteria and fungi, but its potency was usually weakened in vivo and for eradicating biofilms. On this basis, new strategies have been proposed to strengthen the PDI potency in food system, mainly including the physical and chemical modification of PSs, the combination of PDI with multiple adjuvants, adjusting the working conditions of PDI, improving the targeting ability of PSs, and the emerging aggregation-induced emission luminogens (AIEgens). Meanwhile, the mechanisms of PDI on eradicating mono-/mixed-species biofilms and preserving foods were also summarized. Notably, the PDI-mediated antimicrobial packaging film was proposed and introduced. This review gives a new insight to develop the potent PDI system to combat microbial contamination and hazard in food industry.     

The inactivation of Salmonella by cold atmospheric plasma treatment

The need to fulfill consumer demand for fresh products without compromising microbial food safety and quality has increased the interest of the food industry in low-temperature innovative processes for food preservation. Compared to thermal processing, these emerging technologies rely on physical processes, such as high hydrostatic pressure, ionizing radiation, ultrasonication, pulsed electric fields, ultraviolet radiation and cold plasmas that are able to inactivate microorganisms at ambient or sublethal temperatures. This latter treatment is one of the more promising food preservation technologies. In this review we survey the main factors affecting the sensitivity and resistance of Salmonella to cold atmospheric gas plasmas. A more complete understanding of the factors involved in inactivation by this emerging technology will enhance its implementation in food preservation.     

Influence of plasma characteristics on the efficacy of Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) for inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella Typhimurium biofilms

The biofilm mode of growth protects bacterial cells from applied disinfection methods for abiotic (food) contact surfaces. Therefore, new inactivation technologies such as Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) should be considered. However, the influence of different plasma characteristics on the CAP efficacy for biofilm inactivation requires further study. In this research, the influence of (i) the applied plasma configuration (Dielectric Barrier Discharge (DBD) and Surface Barrier Discharge (SBD)), (ii) the oxygen level of the gas flow (He + 0.0/0.5/1.0 (v/v) % O₂), and (iii) the plasma intensity (13.88, 17.88, and 21.88 V input voltage) on the CAP efficacy for inactivation of L. monocytogenes and S. Typhimurium biofilms was investigated. Depending on the applied plasma characteristics, log₁₀-reductions up to approximately 3.5 log(CFU/cm²) were obtained. Nevertheless, it could be concluded that the highest log-reductions were in general obtained while using the DBD electrode, 0.0 (v/v) % O₂, and an input voltage of 21.88 V.Industrial relevanceThis study demonstrated the potential application of CAP for inactivation of pathogenic biofilms developed on abiotic (food) contact surfaces. The effect of different plasma characteristics on the CAP inactivation efficacy was investigated and determined optimal conditions resulted in promising reductions of the biofilm-associated cells. By incorporating this novel technology in a complete cleaning and disinfection process, the risk of (cross) contamination of food products might extensively be reduced.     

Control of Salmonella in food related environments by chemical disinfection

Salmonella may be transferred to food through cross-contamination during processing and preparation. To minimise the risk of cross-contamination, proper cleaning and disinfection is essential for the food industry. Recently, disinfection of areas for preparation and storage of food has also gained increased popularity in households. There is a range of disinfectants available with different properties and usage areas, and care must be taken to choose the proper disinfectant for the specific application.There are many methods for testing the antimicrobial effect of disinfectants. To evaluate whether a disinfectant will be effective in practical settings, the test method should model real-life situations. Most disinfectants are effective against Salmonella at recommended user concentration in suspension tests. However, a number of factors may reduce the biocidal effect of disinfectants under practical conditions. This include properties of the surface to be disinfected, presence of soiling on the surface, the physiological state of the bacteria exposed to disinfection, including bacteria embedded in biofilms, and the effects of other stresses (e.g. desiccation, starvation and temperature).Here we review the effects of disinfectants used in food related areas in industries and in households against Salmonella. A general overview is given for disinfectants in use and methods used to evaluate effects. Effects of disinfectants against Salmonella in suspension and on surfaces, including biofilms, are presented and compared. Novel control strategies such as use of electrolysed water, antimicrobial surfaces, and anti-biofilm compounds are also covered. Finally, we review the ability of Salmonella to gain reduced susceptibility to disinfectants through adaptation and other physiological responses like biofilm formation.     

The fate of mycotoxins during thermal food processing

Mycotoxins are considered to be heat‐stable molecules. Because of their toxic effects, information about their stability in thermal processes and potential inactivation procedures is needed. Numerous reports in the literature over a number of years have described the fate of mycotoxin during thermal food processing, including cooking, boiling, baking, frying, roasting and pasteurization. This review focuses on the effects of various thermal treatments on mycotoxins, while the fate of mycotoxins during extrusion processing, which is one of the most important technologies employed in the food industry, will also be reviewed. Copyright © 2009 Society of Chemical Industry     

Nonthermal preservation of foods using combined processing techniques

In the last 2 decades, consumer demand for fresher, higher quality, and safer food has promoted research on nonthermal methods of food preservation for the inactivation of microorganisms and enzymes as an alternative to thermal processes. However, the high resistance of certain enzymes and microorganisms to nonthermal processes, especially bacterial spores, limit their application. To expand the use of nonthermal processes in the food industry, combinations of these technologies with traditional or emerging food preservation techniques are being studied. The use of nonthermal processes in combination with other preservation technologies presents a number of potential benefits to food preservation. The purpose of this article is to review some successful combinations of different nonthermal technologies, such as high hydrostatic pressure, ultrasound, pulsed electric fields, and irradiation, with traditional or emerging food preservation technologies.     

Advances in innovative processing technologies for microbial inactivation and enhancement of food safety – pulsed electric field and low-temperature plasma

The need for enhancing microbial food safety and quality, without compromising the nutritional, functional and sensory characteristics of foods, has created an increasing world-wide interest in low-temperature innovative processes for food preservation. In contrast, to the traditional thermal processes, these emerging technologies are predominantly reliant on physical processes, including high hydrostatic pressures, pulsed electric fields and low-temperature plasmas that inactivate microorganisms at ambient or moderately elevated temperatures and short treatment times. The current review presents the latest developments in the two most recent of these technologies, pulsed electric field and low-temperature plasma treatments for food preservation and disinfection of food contact surfaces.