Low Pressure Cold Plasma as an Alternative Method for Black Pepper Sterilization

It was found out that spices straight from the package are not sterile. The only way to receive sterile spices is to use radiation technology which means to irradiate spices with ionizing radiation. However, this method is quite expensive and raises great resistance of public. And this is the reason why we are interested in implementing plasma technology. The first step of the research was to choose the most appropriate spice. The range of available spices is nearly unlimited, however, we took into account the following ones: sweet paprika, basil, rosemary, saffron, marjoram, thyme and black pepper. Finally, we chose black pepper because it is most often used by butchers to make meat products. It is also called the “King of Spices” or the “Black Gold”. Black pepper is one of the most often used spices in the United States and in Europe. It is important to have sterile black pepper when we aim at ripening products for example ripening sausages or some kinds of cheeses. What is more, it was found out that black pepper has antimicrobial properties, antioxidant effects and also antipyretic and analgesic properties. The aim of the research was to receive sterile spices using low pressure cold plasma with oxygen, nitrogen, air, argon and hydrogen peroxide.