Fungi, being an integral constituent of this earth, cause contamination in many food stuffs including dried fruits and nuts. Food or feed control focuses not only on the analysis of natural food components (carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins), but also on the determination of harmful compounds, like mycotoxins. This group of contaminants, produced by fungi (commonly called moulds) can be dangerous to human and animal health causing diseases known as mycotoxicosis. Cold plasma is a novel technology, potentially useful in the agriculture and food processing settings and has gained attention in recent years as a potential alternative method for chemical and thermal disinfection in foods using ambient or moderate temperatures and short treatment times in fruits, vegetables, seeds ect. Cold plasma uses several reactive gaseous species which are likely less ionised for the inactivation of microbe’s present in meats, poultry, fruits, and vegetables. This review paper will cover the concepts and underlying principles, applications in food, critical parameters, advantages and limitations when this technique is employed. Otherwise, it provides a critical summary of the studies to decontamination of fruits and cereal products using low-temperature cold plasma technology along with a summary of the mechanisms and characteristics involved. In addition, the review also discusses the effects of this technology on quality of fruits and cereal products. Results suggested that cold plasma may be considered as an alternative method for the degradation and reduction of toxin production by mycotoxigenic fungi in the storage of foods and feedstuffs.
