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The present study aimed to evaluate the effect of cold plasma processing parameters (time and flow rate) on the physical (rheological parameters and particle size), microstructure (optical microscopy) and thermal properties (differential scanning calorimetry) of chocolate milk drinks. The beverages treated by cold plasma presented particles with increased size and had higher consistency and altered melting profile (lower temperature and bound water and higher enthalpy) than the pasteurized product, suggesting denaturation processes and formation of protein aggregates. More severe conditions resulted in beverages with particles of larger surface areas ([D 3,2]) and volume diameters ([D4,3]), resulting in higher consistency. Intermediate processing conditions resulted in products with characteristics more similar to the pasteurized beverages. The results indicate that the beverages submitted to cold plasma and pasteurization have different physical characteristics, melting profile and microstructure. Chocolate milk drinks with different characteristics could be obtained varying the cold plasma process parameters.

This study aimed to evaluate the consumers' perception (n = 1085) about processing chocolate milk drinks by cold plasma. The consumers were asked about food technology neophobia, familiarity and, willingness to buy the product, sensory attributes, and perceived quality compared to traditional technologies. The consumers considered that new technologies could have a negative impact on health, natural quality of the product, and environment, that the benefits of the new technologies are overstated, and that could be a risk replacing the traditional technologies. However, most of the consumers (72.3%) were willing to buy the chocolate milk drink processed by cold plasma, mainly if the price is similar to that of the conventional product. Chocolate milk drink should have a brown color, chocolate flavor, typical chocolate and milk taste, and high consistency. The willingness to buy the new product increases with the belief that the new technologies would not bring negative health effects, while it decreases with the unfamiliarity with new technologies, doubts about the information provided by the media, or no perceived quality compared to the traditional technology. Therefore, it is important that the food industry provide consumers with trustable, understandable, and clear information so that the lack of confidence could be overcome.