The safety and shelf life of beef (red meat) can benefit from the correct implementation of ozone in water or gas. Ozone is an effective sterilization method against the most common foodborne microorganisms that cause spoilage and disease. There are numerous studies and practical applications of ozone for inactivating E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and other common pathogens.
The safety and shelf life of beef (red meat) can benefit from the correct implementation of ozone in water or gas. Ozone is an effective sterilization method against the most common foodborne microorganisms that cause spoilage and disease. There are numerous studies and practical applications of ozone for inactivating E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and other common pathogens.
Ozone cannot be stored; it is prepared on-site by an ozone generator. After preparation, ozone water can be introduced into water, dissolved, forming a multifunctional and safe aqueous solution, commonly referred to as ozone water. This can be directly sprayed onto carcasses during further processing, or used to disinfect processing equipment.
Here are some applications of ozone water disinfection:Ozone Water Content in Water:It is crucial to use an appropriate level of ozone in water. If the ozone level in water is too low, the effect will not be achieved. If the ozone content in water is too high, it may be released into the surrounding air, posing a human safety concern.
We recommend an ozone level of 2.0 ppm or higher in water. Ozonized water with an ozone level up to 5.0 ppm can usually be used, with minimal gas discharge from the water. Ozone-containing water should be gently sprayed onto the meat without using a dazzling spray or fogging. A water pressure of 10-30 psi is usually effective, with minimal ozone emission.
Our work shows that lower ozone levels below 2.0 ppm are effective in eliminating bacteria but require longer contact time. Ozone levels above 2 ppm have little effect on the intervention. For more details on this work, please refer to the chart and referenced papers below.
The charts and referenced papers show that ozone levels greater than 2.0 ppm have little effect on antimicrobial interventions. Our recommendation is to maintain an ozone level between 2.0-5.0 ppm in your ozone generator to ensure that the target dissolved ozone level of 2.0 ppm remains in contact with and rinsed off the meat or surfaces.
Spraying Ozone Water Solution - Surface Disinfection Application:
In these applications, water serves as the carrier for ozone. This water must be directly and fully exposed to any surfaces that need to be disinfected. This could be the meat itself, processing surfaces, machines, knives, and other equipment. Nozzles should be gently sprayed at a water pressure of 10-30 PS without creating a dazzling or fogging spray to ensure minimal ozone emission from the water. The contact time between the surface and water should be greater than 1 second. On conveyor systems, use round or square nozzles to spray onto meat surfaces for 3 seconds, or multiple nozzles. For more details, please refer to the following images.
When beef short ribs are moving on a conveyor belt, spray ozone water onto the beef short ribs. Properly set up, this will allow sufficient contact time between ozone water and beef short ribs. Ozone water will also disinfect the conveyor and ensure that pathogens do not transfer between beef scraps.
