Turn on a fluorescent or sodium vapor lamp or plasma TV, or start your car, and plasma will be at work in each of these. Plasma is the fourth state of matter and is usually categorized as thermal or non-thermal. Thermal plasma is in equilibrium and occurs at high temperatures and, therefore, is not of much practical use. Non-thermal plasma, aka non-equilibrium plasma, can operate at room temperature while generating effective plasma chemistry, making it suitable for many applications.
While plasma could be useful in a number of food applications, using it to create a non-thermal sterilization system will likely be the most attractive to processors. This is why the technology development and contract research company, Advanced Plasma Solutions (APS), would like to team up with food safety experts and equipment builders to help design and develop plasma-based sterilization equipment.