Elsevier, Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies, (26), p. 456-461, 2014
DOI: 10.1016/j.ifset.2014.10.001
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The application of nonthermal dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma for altering the hydrophillicity or hydrophobicity of polymer surfaces is well-known. In this work, we demonstrate the potential of DBD plasma in enhancing the surface hydrophobicity of freshly baked biscuits, evident from the increased spread area of vegetable oil. The electrical and optical characteristics of the DBD plasma source have also been described. The spread area of individual oil drops have been measured using a digital image analysis technique. An exponential order of increase in the spread area has been observed at 80 kV with respect to treatment time, following DBD treatment. The findings reported in this work have applications in the industrial preparation of biscuit and cracker variants, where post-baking oil spray is desired. The effect of plasma treatments on the chemical constituents of biscuit requires further investigation.