There are increasing interests in nonthermal food processing because of demands for safe, nutritious, and high quality food products. Nonthermal plasma (NTP) or cold plasma is a promising emerging technology for food processing and preservation, particularly for nonthermal pasteurization and disinfection of liquid and solid foods, as well as sanitation of process water and equipment. The technology may also be used in waste and odor management in the food industry. This symposium is among the first to discuss applications of cold plasma technology in the food industry. The symposium will provide an overview of current research and engage in discussion on future developments in NTP technology. The speakers will be leading scientists and engineers from academia, national research institutes, and industry. A comprehensive treatment of the topic spans from fundamentals of NTP science, engineering and technology developments, effectiveness and constraints in applying NTP to improve food safety and quality, mechanisms of cold plasma microorganism inactivation, chemical response of food components and the environment, case studies on nonthermal pasteurization and disinfection of foods, applications in waste and odor management, development of NTP processes and equipment, to economic and environmental assessment. The primary objectives of the symposium are to foster in-depth discussions on the technical and economic feasibility of the technology, identify the gaps and opportunities for future research in order to move the technology to the commercial sectors, and assist federal agencies in developing research investment priorities and regulatory guidelines.

Presentations