Cold plasma — the fourth state of matter — has been considered for decades as a way to disinfect food, water and even air without using chemicals.
The technology has become especially valuable in the fight against mycotoxins caused by mold. In Africa, millions of children are exposed to poisoning through food every day. Cold plasma makes it possible to destroy such toxins without opening the packaging.
Indian researcher Himashri Ponrajan created plasma-activated water that destroys up to 99% of Salmonella on the surface of chicken meat without changing its quality. Clean Crop Technologies uses the technology to treat seeds, doubling germination and opening up opportunities to increase food resources.
The idea of using cold plasma to process food began to develop actively in the mid-2000s, when it became clear that it can destroy pathogens without heating and without noticeable loss of food quality. Today, the technology is being tested for long-term safety, the absence of harmful by-products and readiness for industrial deployment. In a few years, cold-plasma devices may become as familiar as microwave ovens.
