The application of ozone in fruit and vegetable processing mainly focuses on the following aspects:
Cleaning and Disinfection: Ozone water can be used to clean fruits and vegetables to remove surface bacteria, viruses, fungi and parasites. The strong oxidation effect of ozone can destroy the biofilm of microorganisms, thereby effectively disinfecting agricultural products.
Removing pesticide residues: Ozone water can help decompose and remove pesticide residues on the surface of fruits and vegetables, reducing consumers’ intake of chemical pesticides.
Control ethylene gas: Ozone can decompose ethylene gas, a plant hormone that promotes fruit ripening.
Air disinfection: In the storage and processing environment of fruits and vegetables, ozone can be used for air purification, reducing bacteria and viruses in the air, and improving overall hygiene.
The advantages of ozone in fruit and vegetable processing include the following:
Natural Disinfectant: Ozone is a natural, powerful disinfectant that effectively kills microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, yeasts and molds without leaving harmful chemical residues.
Reduced chemical use: Using ozone can reduce reliance on traditional chemical disinfectants and sanitizers, which is especially important when producing organic or chemical-free products.
Improved food safety: Ozone treatment can reduce the risk of foodborne illness because it destroys or reduces pathogens that can cause food poisoning.
Control ethylene levels: Ozone breaks down ethylene gas, thereby controlling the rate at which fruit ripens and extending its shelf life.
Ease of operation: Ozone generators can be integrated into existing processing flows, are relatively simple to operate and have low maintenance costs.
Improve efficiency: Ozone treatment is fast and can complete a large number of product disinfection tasks in a short period of time, improving production efficiency.
