Motivation: Cold plasma (CP) is an emerging technology, which has attracted the attention of scientists globally. It was originally developed for ameliorating the printing and adhesion properties of polymers plus a variety of usage domains in electronics. Application of plasma is well-established in various industrial processes; its use has also been suggested as an innovative technology in the food sector as a powerful tool for non-thermal processing, with diverse forms for utilization. CP falls into the group of Green Extraction Techniques. Food wastes are today considered as a cheap source of valuable components since the existent technologies allow the
recovery of target compounds and their recycling inside food chain as functional additives in different products. Objectives: This review presents an overview of recent studies on the application of
cold plasma for
recovery of high-added value ingredients including polyphenols, pigments such as chlorophylls, carotenoids, antioxidant compounds, methylxanthines, caffeine, gallic acid hydroxycinnamic acids, flavonols and anthocyanins from food waste sources. These obtained compounds may be extracted for production of virus’s nutraceuticals and functional foods. Materials and methods: This study represents a first step towards the implementation of the CAPP technology for a targeted modification of valuable secondary plant metabolites during post-harvest chain of agricultural produces. Results and conclusions: The recent studies conducted on the interaction of reactive species with food contact surfaces establish plasma processing as an eco-friendly technique with minimal changes to food products, making it a befitting alternative to traditional techniques. In contrast to conventional alternatives, innovative extraction methods allow higher yields in a shorter time, less usage of organic solvents, and reduced energy consumption.