RESOURCE-SAVING ECO-TECHNOLOGIES FOR PROCESSING GRAIN CROPS

Abstract

The use of cold plasma radiation as a resource-saving technology for the disinfection of grain crops, fruits, vegetables and individual raw ingredients is a promising direction in the development of the food industry. This type of exposure has a low temperature (<50 °C) of the plasma glow, and due to the formation of a quasi-neutral “sea” of electrons, ions, reactive and neutral molecules, reactive oxygen species, UV photons, nitrogen molecules of atomic oxygen, super-oxide, hydroxyl radicals, oxide nitrogen, hydrogen peroxide and other substances has a high efficiency of disinfecting action. At present, the methods of plasma generation most effectively used for food processing can be distinguished: dielectric barrier discharge, atmospheric plasma jet, corona discharge, radio frequency plasma and microwave discharge. The studies presented in open sources show that the creation of effective disinfection technologies by exposure to cold plasma radiation requires an individual approach for each type of product, and must also take into account the presence of its initial microflora, humidity and surface structure. In this technology, a wide choice of the method of plasma generation, creation of active molecules and ions, the duration of exposure and the design of technological lines is possible, which enables manufacturers to introduce innovative technologies into the production process, taking into account the financial capabilities of the enterprise. Thus, interest in developments in the field of introducing resource-saving ecotechnologies for processing grain crops based on cold plasma radiation is very relevant, as it allows you to create a safe food system and preserve all the useful properties of biological objects.