High voltage atmospheric cold plasma technology as a food safety intervention for decontamination of cutting tools during ready-to-eat poultry meat slicing

Abstract

This study aimed to build a prototype that integrates a cold plasma capability into a manual meat slicer while it is in operation to minimize cross-contamination from the circular cutting blade. A high voltage atmospheric cold plasma (HVACP) generator was attached to a meat slicer with a rotating 22.5-cm diameter stainless steel slicing blade. The meat slicer with the installed cold plasma generator was contained within a sealed, clear acrylic box. Listeria innocua (LI) was selected as the test organism, and initial testing was performed on stainless-steel coupons in room air at a relative humidity ranging from 30 to 90% for treatment times up to 240 s. Results found that 240 s and 90% RH showed a 3.0-log reduction of LI. These conditions were then replicated using “dirty” stainless-steel knife while rotating. The results showed only a 0.5-log LI reduction. The gas was changed from air to MA65 gas blend (65% O2, 30% CO2 and 5% N2) and then a 1.91 log LI reduction was achieved on the “dirty” knife. Industrial relevance Due to the rapid processing speeds required in the food industry, it is difficult to assure the complete cleanliness of the tools and surfaces used at all times, and then, operations like the cutting /slicing step are still one of the critical points for cross-contamination during meat processing. High voltage atmospheric cold plasma (HVACP) is a practical intervention that has the potential to deliver a continuous, in-situ decontamination of the knife during operation to mitigate the risk of cross-contamination. The developed prototype, as shown in this study, can deliver beneficial results in short treatment time and with minimal inputs of air and electricity, without heating effects, minimizing the use of water, or the use of sanitizers.