Bacteria control claimed for ‘cold plasma’ treatment of food
A U.S study at Drexel University, published in the January 2012 issue of Journal of Food Protection, has said that a form of cold plasma might be an effective method for killing pathogens on uncooked poultry.
The Drexel study involved raw chicken samples contaminated with Salmonella enterica and Campylobacter jejuni bacteria treated with plasma for varying periods of time. The plasma treatment claims to “have eliminated or nearly eliminated bacteria in low levels from skinless chicken breast and chicken skin, and significantly reduced the level of bacteria when contamination levels were high”.
Plasma is being described in this study as “the fourth state of matter, high energy, charged mixture of gaseous atoms, ions and electrons”. The study claims plasma has a wide range of potential applications, including energy production and that the control, biomedical treatments and environmental remediation.
Lead author of the study and graduate in the College of Arts and Sciences, Brian Dirks, added that the value of using plasma “is that it is non-thermal, so there is no heat to cook or alter the way the food looks”.
Dr Jennifer Quinlan, co-author of the study and assistant professor of the College of nursing and Health Professions at Drexel University stated that past studies have shown that plasma could successfully reduce pathogens on the surface of fruits and vegetables without cooking them.
Lead author of the study and graduate in the College of Arts and Sciences, Brian Dirks, added that the value of using plasma “is that it is non-thermal, so there is no heat to cook or alter the way the food looks”.
Dr Quinlan described the plasma treatment of poultry as “proof of concept”. Although current plasma technology is expensive, it might be used in conjunction with existing methods if the technology becomes cost-effective to reduce pathogens.
Another Bacterial Control Reported
In a separate development, Australian Food News recently reported a new processing aid had been developed for the control of Listeria monocytogenes using a bacteriophage preparation known as “P100”. An application was made for approval of its usage as a processing aid for ready-to-eat foods to reduce levels of Listeria monocytogenes. Following the publication by government agency Food Standards Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) of the application (known as Application number A1045) and the release by FSANZ in September 2011 of its assessment report for the application, the FSANZ website revealed 8 submissions from various bodies who were all supportive of the application.
Bacteriophages are described as the most abundant biological entities on earth. They infect bacteria and multiply inside them until the bacteria breaks down. They are naturally present in high numbers in the environment in saltwater, freshwater, soil, plants, animals (including people), and food. The application in Australia for the approval by FSANZ of the “P100” bacteriophage preparation is being brought by EBI Food Safety.
