Abstract
By 2050, the population on Earth is estimated to reach 10 billion. Fresh and minimally processed plant products are important sources of nutrients and health-promoting compounds in the human diet; however, incidences of foodborne outbreaks are often associated with their consumption. Hence, the need for agri-food industries to develop innovative and sustainable processes to ensure their safety, quality, and nutritional properties. Plasma activated water (PAW), among cold plasma technologies, has shown promising results in terms of microorganisms, mycotoxins, and pesticide degradation thanks to the synergistic effect given by low pH, high concentration of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species(RONS), and high oxidative-reduction potential. However, the effects of PAW on plant food endogenous enzymes, on sensory and functional properties, and on the production of harmful chemical compounds still need clarification. Moreover, common PAW experimental setups have limitations of in-batch processes and do not enable in-situ and on-demand dispensing of RONS. The PAA-FOOD project aims to overcome the PAW related-drawbacks by designing, developing, and testing “plasma-activated aerosol” (PAA) systems for the surface decontamination and preservation of fresh produce (FP) and minimally processed plant foods (MPFV). The project activities are organized in 8 Work Packages (WPs), each having a specific goal. Two different prototypes will be developed for PAA generation, i.e., a system producing plasma-activated water (PAW) coupled with an aerosolization device (PAWA), and a system allowing for the in-situ generation of Plasma-Aerosol (PAS) (WP1). Both systems will be characterized for the energy consumption, aerosol characteristics, concentrations of reactive species in aerosol droplets, plasma behavior, and chemical composition of gas-phase (WP2); additionally, the PA system will be tested on selected FP (strawberries, tomato cherries) and MPFV (lettuce, apples)products. After a preliminary optimization of the process conditions (WP3), both PAA treatments will be applied on FP and MPFV to evaluate their effects on products' sensory, quality, and biochemical properties during storage (WP4), microbiological and chemical hazards (WP5), and nutritional and functional properties (WP6). Project data will be modeled (WP7) to describe the effects of PAA treatments on the different considered parameters. WPs will be developed through the collaboration of two Research Units (RUs) involved in different activities according to their expertise. All RUs will contribute to the dissemination of project results (WP8). The project aims to provide a wide overview of the PAA-induced changes in FP and MPFV. Moreover, the project, through the identification of transient and long-lasting radical species, will provide information on safety aspects that so far are unknown and could contribute to the approval of this novel technology by governments' regulatory agencies.
Dettagli del progetto
Responsabile scientifico: Romolo Laurita
Strutture Unibo coinvolte:
Dipartimento di Ingegneria Industriale
Coordinatore:
Università degli Studi di TERAMO(Italy)
Contributo totale Unibo: Euro (EUR) 88.407,00
Durata del progetto in mesi: 24
Data di inizio
12/10/2023
Data di fine:
28/02/2026
