In recent years there has been an increased focus on food safety and in particular the methods used to reduce and eliminate pathogens from fresh produce. With the rise in consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, incidents of food-borne illness have also greatly increased in the US, drawing significant attention from researchers and authorities. Traditional methods revolve around the use of chemicals such as chlorine in the sanitizing of produce, specifically in rinsing and washing. Chlorine is widely used in these processes but it has a limited effect in killing bacteria on fruit and vegetables surfaces. There is also wide concern with regards to the by-products of chlorine and its effects on health and the environment.
Ozone is becoming a popular alternative solution to traditional sanitizing agents and providing additional benefits. Ozone as an oxidizing agent, 1.5 times more powerful than chlorine and effective over a much wider spectrum of microorganisms. Ozone kills viruses and bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Listeria much faster than chlorine and other chemical agents and is free of chemical residues as it decomposes into simple oxygen.
Ozone can effectively be used in several applications in the food and packing industries including the disinfection of process water, poultry chill water treatment, produce washing and rinsing, process water recycling and produce storage.
Ozone's powerful disinfection capability has made it very useful in many areas of food processing and packaging. As concerns about the health effects of chlorine treatment by-products rise, ozone is gaining an important role in many food applications, including.
- Fruit and vegetable disinfection.
- Poultry chiller water treatment.
- Meat storage.
- Spice and nut disinfection.
- Seafood disinfection.
- Food storage to extend shelf-life and prevent pest infestation (grains, potatoes etc).
- Ozonated ice for extending shelf-life of seafood, and produce.
- Wheat tempering with ozonated water to reduce microbial count in flour.
In recent years there has been an increased focus on food safety and in particular the methods used to reduce and eliminate pathogens from fresh produce. With the rise in consumption of fresh fruits and vegetables, incidents of food-borne illness have also greatly increased in the world, drawing significant attention from researchers and authorities. Traditional methods revolve around the use of chemicals such as chlorine in the sanitizing of produce, specifically in rinsing and washing. Chlorine is widely used in these processes but it has a limited effect in killing bacteria on fruit and vegetables surfaces. There is also wide concern with regards to the by-products of chlorine and its effects on health and the environment.
Ozone is becoming a popular alternative solution to traditional sanitizing agents and providing additional benefits. Ozone as an oxidizing agent, 1.5 times more powerful than chlorine and effective over a much wider spectrum of microorganisms. Ozone kills viruses and bacteria such as Escherichia coli and Listeria much faster than chlorine and other chemical agents and is free of chemical residues as it decomposes into simple oxygen.
Ozone can effectively be used in several applications in the food and packing industries including the disinfection of process water, poultry chill water treatment, produce washing and rinsing, process water recycling and produce storage.
