The Application of Ozone in Food Industry

 The application of ozone in the food industry mainly refers to the following aspects: The first is to disinfect the air, equipment, surface of equipment, and work clothes. The second is the production and processing water sterilization purification and preparation of high concentration of ozone disinfection solution. The third is the cold storage disinfection and food preservation.

1. Air sterilization in production workshop: In the production workshop microbial contamination is a very important factor that affects the quality of the product. The ozone can not only kill them effectively, but also remove the odor from the workshop completely. The use of ozone disinfection can make the production workshop air, ground, console, utensils and other objects surface bacterial targets qualified and some poultry slaughter plant odor also decreased significantly.

2. Disinfection for changing rooms and working clothes: Most of the bacteria in the production workshop can be brought into the production workshop through the work of the staff. At the same time it will lead to a large area of communication. Therefore, we should pay more attention on them. Most of the food processing enterprises use ultraviolet germicidal irradiation. Because of the natural defects of ultraviolet germicidal irradiation and poor performance of sterilization, but ozone gas can permeate all parts of clothing. Therefore, it is an efficient and simple method for the disinfection of clothing to use ozone.

3. Sterilization and purification of water for production: Ozone can kill bacteria, viruses, microorganisms and other in the water efficiently and fast. It can also remove the organic compounds and other pollutants in the water completely, but not produce secondary pollution, which has a special significance for food processing water. The productive water always be disinfected by chlorine preparation. However, because the pollution of water by organic chemical product pollution is becoming more and more serious, so after the disinfection through chlorine preparation will produce chloroform, dichloro ethane, carbon tetrachloride and other chlorinated organic compounds, which is carcinogenic, therefore, European countries have banned the use of chlorine series of long-acting disinfectant, and Japan will also gradually prohibiting the use of them. The disinfection by ozone does not produce secondary pollution compounds, and the killing rate of ozone for bacteria is higher than chlorine preparation. Its killing speed is about 300-600 times of chlorine preparation. Special in the precooling disinfection ozone can overcome the shortcomings of residual chlorine of sodium hypochlorite disinfection. It is efficient, economical and convenient to kill bacteria. At present, some of the enterprises which uses PAP and pursuits the beautiful appearance of the food business, is trying to use ozone disinfection to replace the pap.

4. Taking preparation of high concentration of ozone water as a new type of disinfectant: Dissolving high concentrations of ozone in water can produce the ozone water which has a strong broad spectrum bactericidal effect. It has an extremely strong degradation for various pesticides, organic poisons and heavy metal ions. High concentration of ozone water to complete the disinfection and degradation of other harmful substances, ozone to become oxygen, the water does not leave residues, no two pollution and any side effects. When high concentration of ozone water disinfects and depredates the other harmful substances, ozone will become oxygen again, not leave residues in water, and not have secondary pollution and any side effects.

5. The disinfection for food cold storage and fresh cold storage: in cold storage, the main source of biological contamination is mold, which not only has a strong chemical disinfectant tolerance, but also can survive in low temperature conditions. Experiments prove that if the cold storage could be disinfected by the concentration of ozone 6-12PPM. If the process could last 3-4 hours, the strong resistance of germinating spore will be killed. After the ozonator stop to work, if the cold storage be closed for more than 24 hours, bacteria killing rate is over 90%, and fungal killing rate can reach 80%. Measured on the spot, after the ozonator stop to work 48 hours, although ozone has been decomposed completely, the number of microbial are declining. Therefore, the best time for the cold storage disinfection is about 3 days ago before the purchase. In food preservation, the application of ozone can play a important role in killing bactericidal and slowing metabolism. If it can use with refrigeration, air conditioning, and packaging, it can improve the preservation effect of food.