Synergistic preservation and pesticide degradation of cherry tomatoes combined with DAT/SA composite film and DBD plasma

Ensuring the safety and extending the shelf-life of fresh produce are critical global concerns, necessitating effective technologies to mitigate microbial spoilage and pesticide contamination. This study proposes a synergistic approach combining a chiral TiO2/sodium alginate (DAT/SA) composite film with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma for simultaneous preservation of cherry tomatoes and degradation of pesticide residues. The optimal 0.3% DAT/SA film was used in combination with DBD plasma (140 kV, 50 Hz, 3 min). This combined treatment significantly enhanced chlorpyrifos degradation to 65.86% after 11 d, markedly outperforming individual DBD (48.17%) or film (54.17%) treatments. It also effectively preserved quality: total bacterial count was reduced by 1.28 lgCFU/g, the decay rate was lowered by 50.99%, and fruit firmness and moisture were better maintained. This approach provides an efficient, eco-friendly method for simultaneous preservation and pesticide degradation in fresh produce.