Non‐thermal plasma: a versatile technology for food industry and seed germination – review

Abstract

Sustainable agriculture requires the exploration and development of eco-friendly technologies to increase crop production. Non-thermal plasma (NTP), also known as cold plasma, is a transformative, eco-friendly technology with significant potential in the agriculture and food industries. NTP technology is a unique strategy that the food industry can utilize in this era of green technology. This review explores the principles of NTP, the generation methods, and its applications, majorly focusing on its role in enhancing seed germination and food processing. NTP, a partially ionized gas generated near room temperature by methods like dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma or plasma jets, enables heat-damage-free surface modification through its production of reactive species. NTP sparks a