Abstract: Food safety is the first line of defense for life and health. Biofilms are widely present in food processing environments, which can lead to cross-contamination of foods and increase the risk of foodborne diseases. High temperature treatment and chemical disinfectants have many drawbacks in removing biofilms. Low temperature plasma (LTP) technology, an emerging non-thermal processing technology, has the advantages of efficient sterilization and food quality preservation, which destroys biofilms through multiple targets and has a prominent inactivating effect. This article systematically reviews the formation mechanism, potential hazards and prevention strategies of foodborne pathogenic bacterial biofilms. It focuses on the latest progress on LTP technology in biofilm control, including its mechanism of action on bacteria and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS), as well as its application to different food matrices and food contact surfaces. This paper summarizes the current limitations and future development potential of LTP, aiming to provide a reference for developing solutions for the prevention and control of biofilms in food processing.

Key words: biofilm; low temperature plasma; bactericidal mechanism; extracellular polymeric substances; reactive oxygen and nitrogen species