Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet Effectiveness in Food Processing: A Review of Current Trends and Opportunities

Rising foodborne illnesses drive the demand for safer, fresher food, prompting the exploration of non-thermal technologies as alternatives to traditional thermal treatments. Cold plasma, particularly atmospheric pressure plasma jets, offers rapid and low-temperature processing. Meanwhile, APPJ demonstrates advantages over dielectric-barrier discharge (DBD) in terms of flexibility and plasma stability, but a comprehensive understanding of its application in food microbial decontamination remains limited. This review addresses this gap by systematically analyzing the factors and techniques influencing APPJ’s effectiveness. It provides a critical discussion of the limitations associated with these factors and techniques, outlines future research opportunities, and highlights key challenges for APPJ technology in food treatment. The technical novelty of this review lies in its detailed analysis of APPJ’s operational parameters and their impact on decontamination efficacy, providing a rationale for optimized application and targeted research efforts.