Cold Plasma Disinfection System

Overview

A non-destructive physical treatment process to kill bacteria and spore on food surface by leveraging highly active charged particles, effectively extending shelf life of food by up to 300% in three minutes, and without adding any preservatives.

  • Cold Plasma Disinfection System  0
  • Cold Plasma Disinfection System  1
Technical name of innovation
Cold Plasma Disinfection System for Extending  Shelf Life of Fresh Food
Commercialisation opportunities
Non-exclusive licensing
Problem addressed

Fresh food has always been prone to spoilage. If no effective sterilisation method is adopted, the food will deteriorate easily and rapidly, resulting in a lot of waste. The industry has always lacked an effective disinfection technology for fresh food and dried spices. Taking dry spices as an example, the spores of harmful bacteria often cause food safety crises.

Innovation
  • Packaged fresh food or dry powdered spices are placed on conveyor belts, then being transported under the electrodes. The product is sterilised by the cold plasma generated by compressed air or inert gas mixture.
  • Other inert gas or gas mixture can also be used for generating cold plasma for disinfection.
Key impact
  • This technology can effectively extend the shelf life of fresh food by up to 300%. The increased shelf life can extend the retail time of more food, making transactions more flexible.
  • Cold plasma can reduce a significant number of microbe on food, thereby ensuring food safety and protecting the health of members of the public.
  • This technology is an environmentally friendly disinfection method, which can reduce energy consumption and food waste, as compared with the conventional treatment of heat disinfection.
Award
  • 2022 Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions - Silver
Application
  • For packaged fresh or cut fruit.
  • Suitable for dry nuts and dry spice products.

Patent

  • PRC Invention Patent
  • PRC Utility Patent
  • HK Short Term Patent
Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC)

The Hong Kong Productivity Council (HKPC) is a multi-disciplinary organisation established by statute in 1967, to promote productivity excellence through integrated advanced technologies and innovative service offerings to support Hong Kong enterprises. HKPC is the champion and expert in facilitating Hong Kong's new industrialisation empowered by i4.0 and e4.0 - focusing on R&D, IoT, big data analytics, AI and Robotic technology development, digital manufacturing, etc., to help enterprises and industries upgrade their business performance, lower operating costs, increase productivity and enhance competitiveness. 

The Council is a trusted partner with comprehensive innovative solutions for Hong Kong industries and enterprises, enabling them to achieve resources and productivity utilisation, effectiveness and cost reduction, and enhanced competitiveness in both local and international marketplace. It offers SMEs and startups immediate and timely assistance in coping with the ever-changing business environment, accompanying them on their innovation and transformation journey.

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