Effects of packaging parameters on the microbial decontamination of Korean steamed rice cakes using in-package atmospheric cold plasma treatment.

Abstract

The effects of packaging materials, package shape, and secondary packaging on the inactivation of indigenous mesophilic aerobic bacteria in Korean steamed rice cakes using in-package atmospheric dielectric barrier discharge cold plasma (ADCP) treatment were investigated. Inactivation of indigenous mesophilic aerobic bacteria by ADCP treatment (21 kV, 3 min) was significantly increased by 0.6 and 0.8 log CFU/g (p < 0.05) from 0.7 ± 0.1 and 0.5 ± 0.1 CFU/g, respectively, when polypropylene (PP) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) were laminated with nylon, respectively. Secondary packaging lowered the inactivation level by 0.7-0.8 log CFU/g from 1.1 to 1.3 log CFU/g. In-package ADCP treatment did not alter the water vapor permeability, oxygen transmission rate, and tensile properties of PP, LDPE, nylon/PP, and nylon/LDPE. Thus, the results demonstrated that lamination of PP or LDPE with nylon and treatment before secondary packaging may be effective strategies for microbial inactivation by in-package ADCP treatment.