Extending Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (FF&V) Shelf Life through novel technology in the Subsistence Supply Chain

Current methods for food transportation and storage are insufficient in eliminating contamination threats from food-borne pathogens, resulting in frequent cases of foodborne illness and costly recalls. Perishable products within the DLA’s subsistence supply chain are no exception to this problem. AAPlasma LLC proposes a non-equilibrium (“cold”) plasma-based solution that will continuously disinfect contents of military and commercial transport vehicles, reducing one of the largest risks to the population's food supply and safeguarding consumers from food-borne pathogens that cost the US a staggering $55 billion each year. This problem is easier to prevent than to remedy. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS), generated in plasma, are both efficient at disinfection and safe for humans. These species can be synthesized by dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma and carried via charged aerosolized water droplets before uniformly coating the target object (FF&F surfaces in this case). This technology has been established in Drexel University laboratory demonstrations and validated during the Phase I work efforts. AAPlasma believes our proof of concept system can be optimized and scaled up for incorporation into existing food transportation and storage designs. To accomplish this commercial implementation effort, AAPlasma has developed the detailed Phase II strategy outlined in this proposal.