Effect of Atmospheric Pressure Plasma Jet on Inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes, Quality, and Genotoxicity of Cooked Egg White and Yolk

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of an atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) jet on L. monocytogenes inactivation, quality characteristics, and genotoxicological safety of cooked egg white and yolk. APP treatment using He gas resulted in a 5 decimal reduction in the number of L. monocytogenes in cooked egg white, whereas that using He+O2, N2, and N2+O2 decreased the number further, and to undetectable levels. All treatments of cooked egg yolk resulted in undetectable levels of inoculated L. monocytogenes. There were no viable cells of total aerobic bacteria after APP treatment on day 0 while the control showed approximately 3-4 Log CFU/g. On day 7, the numbers of total aerobic bacteria had increased by approximately 3 log cycles in cooked egg white, but there were no viable cells in cooked egg yolk after 2 min of APP jet. APP treatment decreased the L*-values of cooked egg white and yolk significantly on day 0. No significant sensory differences were found among the cooked egg white samples, whereas significant reductions in flavor, taste, and overall acceptability were found in cooked egg yolks treated with APP jets. SOS chromotest did not reveal the presence of genotoxic products following APP treatments of cooked egg white and yolk. Therefore, it can be concluded that APP jets can be used as a non-thermal means to enhance the safety and extend the shelf-life of cooked egg white and yolk.