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Effect of atmospheric pressure plasma jet on the foodborne pathogens attached to commercial food containers

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Abstract

Bacterial biofilms are associated with numerous infections and problems in the health care and food industries. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bactericidal effect of an atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) jet on Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella Typhimurium biofilm formation on collagen casing (CC), polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which are widely used food container materials. The samples were treated separately with the APP jet at a 50-W input power for 5 and 10 min, and nitrogen (6 l per minute) gas combined with oxygen (10 standard cubic centimeters per minute) was used to produce the APP. The APP jet reduced the number of bacterial cells in a time-dependent manner. All pathogens attached to CC, PP, and PET were reduced by 3–4 log CFU/cm2 by the 10-min APP treatment. The developed APP jet was effectively reduced biofilms on CC, PP, and PET.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by R&D Program of Plasma Advanced Technology for Agriculture and Food (Plasma Farming; Project No. EN1425-1) through the National Fusion Research Institute of Korea (NFRI) funded by the Government funds and Institute of Green Bio Science and Technology, Seoul National University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Crop Post-harvest Technology Division, National Institute of Crop Science, RDA, Suwon, 16613, Republic of Korea

    Hyun-Joo Kim

  2. Department of Animal Science and Biotechnology, Chungnam National University, Daejeon, 34134, Republic of Korea

    Dinesh D. Jayasena & Amali U. Alahakoon

  3. Department of Animal Science, Uva Wellassa University, Badulla, 90000, Sri Lanka

    Dinesh D. Jayasena

  4. Department of Agricultural Biotechnology, Center for Food and Bioconvergence, and Research Institute of Agriculture and Life Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, 08826, Republic of Korea

    Hae In Yong & Cheorun Jo

  5. Department of Physics, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, Daejeon, 34141, South Korea

    Sanghoo Park, Jooyoung Park & Wonho Choe

Authors
  1. Hyun-Joo Kim
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  2. Dinesh D. Jayasena
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  3. Hae In Yong
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  4. Amali U. Alahakoon
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  5. Sanghoo Park
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  6. Jooyoung Park
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  7. Wonho Choe
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  8. Cheorun Jo
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Cheorun Jo.

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Research Highlights

• Bactericidal effect of an atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) jet was evaluated.

• Biofilm was formed with 3 pathogens on 3 food containers.

• All pathogens on food containers were reduced 3–4 log CFU/cm2 by 10-min treatment.

• APP jet was effectively reduced the biofilm on food containers.

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Kim, HJ., Jayasena, D.D., Yong, H.I. et al. Effect of atmospheric pressure plasma jet on the foodborne pathogens attached to commercial food containers. J Food Sci Technol 52, 8410–8415 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-015-2003-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13197-015-2003-0

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