Ozone is approved by the FDA and has been successfully used for food processing applications including surface decontamination to extend the shelf life of cheese and fresh produce. It is also used for decontamination of food packaging materials, disinfecting of process water and cleaning processing equipment and food storage areas. Ozone is also used extensively as a disinfectant for bottled water. It is approved for use on meat and poultry products. A number of seafood processing plants use ozone to rinse fresh seafood.
While ozone has been successful use in water treatment for well over 100 years, it is not widely used in the food industry yet. This may be changing as the efficacy of ozone is proven out in commercial applications and alternative biocides fall out of favor.
To date, ozone treatment within the food processing industry has been carried out for decontamination of whole fruits and vegetables either by gaseous treatment or by washing with ozone containing water. Water containing ozone has been applied to the fresh cut vegetables for sanitation purposes reducing plate counts and extending the shelf-life. specific applications for ozone water treatment include reduced bacterial content in shredded lettuce, blackberries, grapes, black pepper, broccoli, carrots and tomatoes. A reduction of bacteria can result in a significant reduction in spoilage and potentially pathogenic species and most commonly associated with fruit and vegetable products.
Ozone treatment in the gas phase can be used to reduce the levels of either biological or chemical contaminants in grains. Applications include treating smoke damaged grain. Ozone has also been used in grain tower to drive away insects and other pests that can contaminate or damage the grain,
Despite success in a number of applications there is a lack of scientific and case studies on the use of ozone for food processing. This is likely to change as more food processors begin evaluating ozone for their specific applications.