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Effects of dielectric barrier discharge plasma on Bacillus cereus spores inactivation and quality attributes of white peppers

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Abstract

This study aimed to investigate the effects of dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma on Bacillus cereus spores inactivation and the quality attributes of white peppers. DBD plasma caused inactivation of B. cereus spores inoculated in white peppers in a time-dependent manner. A maximum reduction of 2.77 log10 CFU/g was observed for B. cereus spores following DBD plasma treatment at 30.72 W for 12 min. The samples showed no significant alterations in the color parameters (L*, a*, and b*) after exposure to DBD plasma for 3 to 9 min. However, when the time was extended to 12 min, the values of L*, a*, and whiteness index significantly decreased, while the b* value increased (p < 0.05). Moreover, DBD plasma treatment (30.72 W, 12 min) caused no adverse effects on the hardness, moisture level, bioactive compounds (phenolic compounds, essential oil, and piperine), and antioxidant activity of white peppers. In addition, e-nose results indicated that DBD plasma caused slightly impact on the volatile flavor profile of white peppers. Overall, these results suggest that cold plasma may be a useful technique for inactivating B. cereus in peppers without significant influences on the quality characteristics of final products.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the Program for Science & Technology Innovation Talents in Universities of Henan Province (24HASTIT058), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32072356), and the Collaborative Innovation Special Project of Zhengzhou (No. 2021ZDPY0201).

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  1. College of Food and Biological Engineering, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry, NO. 136, Kexue Avenue, Zhengzhou, 450001, China

    Dianhe Zhang, **nzhuo Jiu, Yunfang Ma, Liyuan Niu, Yanhong Bai & Qisen **ang

  2. Key Laboratory of Cold Chain Food Processing and Safety Control, Zhengzhou University of Light Industry), Ministry of Education, Zhengzhou, China

    Dianhe Zhang, **nzhuo Jiu, Yunfang Ma, Liyuan Niu, Yanhong Bai & Qisen **ang

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Zhang, D., Jiu, X., Ma, Y. et al. Effects of dielectric barrier discharge plasma on Bacillus cereus spores inactivation and quality attributes of white peppers. Food Measure (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11694-024-02720-6

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