ABSTRACT
This entry summarizes the effect of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma on meat, in particular on pathogen inactivation and physicochemical and sensory attributes. Limited data available on the influence of DBD plasma on meat and meat products revealed that this nonthermal technique can be used effectively against pathogens such as Listeria monocytogenes, Listeria innocua, Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella enterica, Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, and Salmonella Typhimurium in chicken, pork, beef, and ready-to-eat dry cured beef. The application of DBD plasma accelerates lipid oxidation and imposes some negative impacts on sensory characteristics of meat. However, the lipid oxidation presented as thiobarbituric acid reactive substance values reported so far in plasma-treated meat was below the detectable threshold of off-flavors in meat. Therefore, further investigations will be helpful in developing DBD plasma systems with minimized adverse effects on physicochemical and sensorial qualities of meat.
