Inactivation of <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i> and <i>Salmonella</i> on Stainless Steel by a Piezoelectric Cold Atmospheric Plasma Generator

oleh: Cid R. Gonzalez-Gonzalez, Bethan J. Hindle, Saliha Saad, Alexandros Ch. Stratakos

Format: Article
Diterbitkan: MDPI AG 2021-04-01

Deskripsi

Cold atmospheric pressure plasma (CAP) is a novel non-thermal technology that is gaining increasing importance as a decontamination method. Stainless steel is a widespread food contact surface used in food-processing environments. In this study, for the first time, a low-voltage piezoelectric CAP device that uses ambient air was assessed for its antimicrobial efficiency against <i>Salmonella</i> and <i>Listeria monocytogenes</i>. These inoculated on stainless steel at different exposure times (0–300 s), two different distances (10 and 20 mm), and two different cleanliness levels (clean and protein-soiled). Two inactivation models were compared to study the inactivation kinetics of the pathogens. The results showed that CAP treatment effectively reduced <i>L. monocytogenes</i> and <i>Salmonella</i> levels. The Weibull + tail model showed better goodness of fit than the Weibull model. Protein-soiled coupons showed a protective effect to cold plasma inactivation achieving lower reductions compared to clean stainless-steel coupons for both <i>L. monocytogenes</i> and <i>Salmonella</i>. Longer distances from the plasma source decreased the decontamination efficiency of CAP; however, the difference in pathogen reduction was less pronounced at longer exposure times. This study demonstrates the capacity of a low-voltage piezoelectric CAP device to effectively reduce the levels of both foodborne pathogens on stainless-steel surfaces and the potential to adopt this technology by the food industry as a disinfection process of surfaces to reduce cross-contamination and thus increase safety.