Ozone Applications in Fruit and Vegetable Processing

TLDR

Ozone is a potent oxidant that effectively kills microorganisms on fruits and vegetables, decomposes harmlessly, but can degrade sensory quality if not properly applied. Effective and safe ozone use requires product‑specific treatment conditions. Ozone application has shown promise in removing mycotoxin and pesticide residues in the food industry.

Abstract

Ozone, a powerful oxidant, is effective against various kinds of microorganisms on fruits and vegetables. Promising results have been revealed in solving the problems of the food industry like mycotoxin and pesticide residues by ozone application. Spontaneous decomposition without forming hazardous residues in the treatment medium makes ozone safe in food applications. If improperly used, ozone can cause some deleterious effects on products, such as losses in sensory quality. Treatment conditions should be specifically determined for all kinds of products for effective and safe use of ozone.