Aflatoxins, produced by Aspergillus flavus and A. parasiticus, can contaminate different foodstuffs, such as nuts. Cold atmospheric pressure plasma has the potential to be used for mycotoxin detoxification. In this study, the operating parameters of cold atmospheric pressure plasma were optimized to reduce the presence of aflatoxins on dehulled hazelnuts. First, the effect of different gases was tested (N2, 0.1% O2 and 1% O2, 21% O2), then power (400, 700, 1000, 1150 W) and exposure time (1, 2, 4, and 12 min) were optimized. In preliminary tests on aflatoxin standard solutions, this method allowed to obtain a complete detoxification using a high power for a few minutes. On hazelnuts, in similar conditions (1000 W, 12 min), a reduction in the concentration of total aflatoxins and AFB1 of over 70% was obtained. Aflatoxins B1 and G1 were more sensitive to plasma treatments compared to aflatoxins B2 and G2, respectively. Under plasma treatment, aflatoxin B1 was more sensitive compared to aflatoxin G1. At the highest power, and for the longest time, the maximum temperature increment was 28.9 °C. Cold atmospheric plasma has the potential to be a promising method for aflatoxin detoxification on food, because it is effective and it could help to maintain the organoleptic characteristics.

The microbial contamination that occurs during the slaughtering process and during handling of the meat results in a shortening of the shelf-life of meat. In this study, which has had the aim of extending the shelf life of beefsteaks, pilot-scale treatments were carried out with aqueous ozone (AO) and electrolyzed water (EW) before vacuum packaging (VP). The development of the potentially active microbiota and the associated volatilome were followed over 15days of storage under refrigerated conditions (4°C), in order to define the potential long-term effects of the treatments and storage condition on microbiota. The targeted RNA-based amplicon sequencing identified Pseudomonas fragi as the most frequent species before and after the treatments with AO and EW, as well as in the untreated control. The tested treatments did not reduce the overall presence of this species, but they affected the intra-species distribution of its oligotypes, albeit slightly. With the progression of the refrigerated storage and the reduction of the oxygen availability, Lactobacillus sakei, Leuconostoc gasicomitatum and Lactococcus piscium became the dominant, potentially active, beef microbiota, as confirmed by microbiological data. When the OTU abundances and volatilome were coupled, a significant association was observed between the organic acids, esters and aldehydes and these lactic acid bacteria species. In spite of the limited effectiveness of the treatments over the short and long term, this study has provided a detailed view of beef spoilage using RNA as the sequencing target, strengthening and confirming the current knowledge based on DNA-amplicon sequencing.

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Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition (PECVD) treatment on selected bacteria and spores and to contribute to the understanding of the synergistic effect of UV-directed plasma. Methods and Results:The experiments were conducted on pure cultures of Aspergillus brasiliensis and Escherichia coli and on naturally contaminated pistachios that were exposed to pure oxygen-, pure argon-and to a mixture of oxygen-argon-generated plasma for different treatment times and at different micro-organism concentrations. Optical emission spectroscopy (OES) measurements were performed to observe the active species in the plasma. After exposure, the effectiveness of decontamination was assessed through microbiological techniques by calculating the growth reduction on a logarithmic scale. A treatment time of 30 min resulted in a 3Á5 log reduction of A. brasiliensis using pure oxygen or argon, while treatment times of 5 min, 1 min and 15 s resulted in a 5Á4 log reduction using a mixture of argon and oxygen (10 : 1 v/v). Treatment times of 1 min and 30 s resulted in a 4 log reduction of E. coli with oxygen and argon, respectively, which led to a complete elimination of the micro-organisms. Two-log reductions of fungi were achieved for pistachios after a treatment time of 1 min. Conclusions: These results suggest that this newly designed plasma reactor offers good potential applications for the reduction in micro-organisms on heatsensitive materials, such as foods. The plasma that was generated with Ar/O 2 was more effective than that which was generated with pure oxygen and pure argon. Significance and Impact of the Study: An improvement in the knowledge about PECVD mechanisms was acquired from the chemical and biological points of view, and the suitability of the method for treating dry food surfaces was demonstrated.

The use of IR was found to be a promising alternative method for hazelnut roasting, as a result of its capability with respect to preserving nutritional values and enhancing organoleptic quality. © 2018 Society of Chemical Industry.