Abstract:

With offering higher quality, better nutrition retention and more energy efficient compared with traditional thermal processes, non-thermal pasteurization processes have aroused great interest in food industry and consumers now. Non-thermal processes may also add value to the products, creating opportunities to open up new markets. In this paper, dielectric barrier discharge reactor (DBDR) was designed. And the bactericidal efficiency of low-temperature plasma (LTP) produced by DBDR on fresh juice and its impacts on the quality of juice were researched. Cycles, pH, temperature and voltage four factors were investigated based on central composite design. The inactivation law of S. aureus in orange juice by low temperature plasma was studies and the second order quadratic equation for LTP inactivation was established by response surface methodology, and the effectiveness of this model was verified. Experimental data was analyzed by Design Expert software, when the results were 7 cycles, pH 2.5, temperature 50 ℃, and voltage 25 kV, the maximal log(N0/N) was 5.19, which were in consistent with the measured value.