Department of Food Technology, School of Applied and Life Sciences, Uttaranchal University,                                                                         Dehradun, India 

Today, consumer demand is shifting towards a product that is safe for consumption, has undergone minimal processing times and retain its nutritional properties. Microbial contamination is a major challenge faced by the food industries. Outbursts of foodborne illness related to fruits and vegetables is a matter of concern. Fruits and vegetables are the primary source of nutrition, energy followed by reducing risk to several health-related issues. Due to their rapid perishability nature, there is a requirement of effective techniques that can be utilized economically for ensuring microbial safety and increasing shelf-life without negatively affecting its quality. Intervention of cold plasma technology is one of such effort. This technology exhibits a wide range of applications including microbial inactivation. It is an emerging and non-thermal technology which because of its potential becomes an interesting viewpoint of scientists globally. It is an energy-efficient and eco-friendly technology. It offers a new approach to food researchers for ensuring microbial safety without adversely affecting the quality parameters of product. The present review states the efficacy of cold plasma technology in reducing microbial load of different fruits and vegetables.