This study thoroughly examined the effects of cold plasma (CP) combined treatment on the quality changes of heat pump-dried mussels during storage at various temperatures, and established a predictive model for shelf life.Storage experiments were conducted at -18, 4, and 25 ℃ to compare mussels processed solely by heat pump drying with those subjected to CP-assisted heat pump drying.Quality parameters evaluated included total bacterial count, total volatile basic nitrogen (TVB-N), pH, rehydration ratio, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and protein carbonyl contents.The results showed that CP treatment significantly reduced the initial microbial load, suppressed the increase of TVB-N and pH during storage, delayed lipid oxidation, and improved rehydration ability, although it accelerated protein oxidation.Based on the established Arrhenius model, the shelf life of CP-treated dried mussels was extended by 54.43, 26.35, and 14.30 days at -18, 4, and 25 ℃, respectively.These findings suggest that CP-assisted drying can improve the storage quality of dried mussels, delay deterioration, and prolong shelf life, while also highlighting the need to address the issue of protein oxidation.Future research may focus on process optimization and the incorporation of natural antioxidants to synergistically reduce quality loss and further enhance the application potential of this technology.
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