Applications of Cold Plasma on Aquatic Products

Aquatic products are becoming increasingly popular as a source of high-quality protein with low levels of saturated fat but are highly perishable due to microbial proliferation and enzymatic and chemical reactions. Effective processing or preservation is required to maintain food quality and prolong shelf life. Cold plasma (CP), a nonthermal technology, is widely used on different types of food due to its efficient antimicrobial effects and the ability to inactivate enzymes while maintaining product quality. The applications of CP to aquatic products such as fish, fish products, and shrimp are discussed herein, and the effect of CP on the viable bacteria count, pH, texture, color, enzymatic reactions, fatty acid composition, lipid oxidation, protein conformation, overall acceptance, and shelf life were evaluated. CP technology alone or combined with other treatments could be applied as a promising processing or preservation technique to maintain the quality and extend the shelf life of aquatic products by inactivating microorganisms with few side effects on or even improvements in some physicochemical properties.