## 3 Results and Discussion
In a review of research on the effects of non-thermal plasmas on food nutrients and grain-based raw materials in surface sterilisation and decontamination processes, non-thermal plasma treatments at an estimated electronic temperature of about 10,000 K have shown promising results in modifying the properties of food raw materials, with an improvement in physicochemical properties with working temperatures not exceeding 330 K [55]. The food packaging industry is facing numerous challenges related to the growing number of bacteria that are resistant to various treatment methods. It is shown that cold atmospheric plasma with electron temperatures around 10,000 K and ionic temperatures, i.e., gas temperatures around 300 K, can inactivate microorganisms such as spores and microbial toxins and extend the shelf life of food without undesirable effects. The advantages  
Figure 6: Boltzmann plot. of using non-thermal plasmas clearly outweigh the disadvantages such as equipment costs and material incompatibility [37]. In a review of the effects of cold plasmas on food quality, the authors divide low-temperature plasmas into thermal plasmas, i.e., quasi-equilibrium plasmas that are in local thermodynamic equilibrium, and non-thermal plasmas, in which the electron temperatures are about 10,000-100,000 K and the temperatures of the heavier species are about 300-1000 K. In addition to the excellent results of microbiological analyses carried out after cold plasma treatment of various types of fruit, vegetables and meat, they emphasise the importance of the choice of the operating parameters (plasma source, electrode configuration and spacing, applied voltage, treatment time, working gas, etc. ), which influence the discharge characteristics, the concentration of reactive species and the efficiency of the process [56]. In a review of the influence of non-thermal plasmas on the microstructure and ingredients of foods, the authors show that after elastic collisions in the plasma, the electron temperature can be more than 10,000 K, while the ion temperature remains at room temperature. The temperature of the process gas remains much lower than the electron temperature, which enables non-thermal plasma treatment in the low-temperature range. During inelastic collisions, an energy transfer of more than 15 eV can take place, leading to excitation, dissociation and ionisation, i.e., the formation of reactive species in the plasma, which are responsible for functional changes and inactivation of microorganisms. The importance of optimising the operating parameters in non-thermal plasma treatments and the positive results obtained are again emphasised [25]. The use of non-thermal plasmas for decontamination is always associated with some challenges, and it is pointed out that the main problem lies in the control of various physical and chemical processes and biological influences at the molecular level and below. Laboratory-generated low-temperature plasmas have thermal electron energies of up to 10 eV, i.e., electron temperatures of 100,000 K, while the gas and ion temperatures remain significantly lower, in the range from room temperature to several thousand K. Research in the field of low-temperature plasmas focuses on the mechanisms of plasma generation and plasma diagnostics, which gives an insight into the potential of utilising non-thermal plasmas [57]. In a study on the properties of cold atmospheric plasmas, authors propose the use of cold atmospheric plasmas at an average working temperature of 300-330 K in food processing and agriculture, among others. The estimated thermal energies of the electrons depend on the type of gas in which the discharge takes place, so that the values range from 2.2 eV in argon to 3.5 eV in air or helium. In one of the papers, the electron density is estimated to be around 10\({}^{22}\) m\({}^{-3}\). They emphasise the importance of understanding the physical, chemical and biophysical processes together with the discharge parameters in order to determine the effects on the material to be treated [58].