Advances in Food Science and Technology

Advances in Food Science and Technology | Vol. 14, No. 8, August 2026 | pp. 061–066

DOI: 10.46882/2026/AFST/000250

Article Type: Original Research Paper

Title: Cold Plasma Jet Cleanings of Salmonella Biofilms on Stainless Steel Food Contact Equipment

Names of Authors: Amina Al-Mansoor¹, Dieter Schmidt²

Authors’ Affiliations: ¹Department of Food Science, King Fahd University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; ²Institute of Food Technology, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany

Abstract: Abstract: Microbial biofilms formed by pathogenic Salmonella enterica on industrial food preparation machinery resist standard chemical sanitizers, presenting ongoing cross-contamination hazards. This research investigated the sanitization capacity of an atmospheric pressure cold plasma jet system running on an ambient air feed to eliminate mature biofilms from stainless steel surfaces. The test coupon models were exposed to changing plasma treat windows (1 to 6 min) at varied nozzle distance settings (5 mm to 15 mm). Colony count assays and confocal laser scanning microscopy were used to track cell death and layer breakdown profiles. The cleaning results show that a 4-min cold plasma exposure at a distance of 10 mm achieved a 5.62 log CFU/cm² reduction in Salmonella cell counts (p < 0.01). The plasma jet broke down the protective extracellular polymeric matrix without causing corrosion on the underlying steel substrates. This automated dry sanitization method offers a sustainable option to traditional water-intensive chemical cleaning protocols.

Keywords: Cold Plasma Jet, Salmonella Biofilms, Biofilm Decontamination, Stainless Steel, Food Contact Surfaces, Dry Sanitization

Manuscript Timeline: Received: April 14, 2026; Revised: June 20, 2026; Accepted: July 25, 2026; Published: August 25, 2026

Citation: Al-Mansoor, A., & Schmidt, D. (2026). Cold Plasma Jet Cleanings of Salmonella Biofilms on Stainless Steel Food Contact Equipment. Advances in Food Science and Technology, 14(8), 061–066. DOI: 10.46882/2026/AFST/000250

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