Cold Atmospheric Plasma and Plasma-Activated Water in Meat Processing: Microbial Safety, Molecular Transformations, Quality Changes, and Analytical Assessment

Abstract

This review describes the principles of cold plasma generation and critically evaluates the effects of cold atmospheric plasma (ACP) and plasma-activated water (PAW) on the microbial safety, physicochemical quality, and preservation of meat products, with emphasis on analytical methods used to characterize plasma-induced changes. Peer-reviewed English-language publications from 2016 to 2026 were reviewed using the Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, PubMed, and ScienceDirect databases, with searches performed from January to June 2026. A total of 240 references supported the review. In one study conducted under comparable experimental conditions, in-package plasma treatment of diced poultry meat reduced Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli O157:H7 by 3.5–3.9 log CFU/cube. This study-specific range should not be generalized because antimicrobial efficacy depends on plasma-system configuration, processing conditions, target microorganism, and meat matrix. However, plasma treatment may also cause undesirable oxidative changes. In ready-to-eat ham, the TBARS value increased from 0.92 to 1.53 mg MDA/kg after treatment, indicating enhanced lipid oxidation and potential quality deterioration. ACP and PAW may improve microbial safety and extend shelf life, but treatment intensity must be carefully controlled to minimize adverse quality effects. Future research should prioritize standardized reporting, product-specific validation, toxicological assessment, industrial scale-up, regulatory compliance, and techno-economic evaluation.