Microbiological aspects of ozone applications in food: A review

Ozone is a powerful antimicrobial agent that is suitable for application in food in the gaseous and aqueous states. Molecular ozone or its decomposition products (for example, hydroxyl radical) inactivate microorganisms rapidly by reacting with intracellular enzymes, nucleic material and components of their cell envelope, spore coats, or viral capsids. Combination of ozone with appropriate initiators (for example, UV or H2O2) results in advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) that are potentially effective against the most resistant microorganisms; however, applications of AOPs in food are yet to be developed. When applied to food, ozone is generated on-site and it decomposes quickly, leaving no residues. Ozone is suitable for decontaminating produce, equipment, food-contact surfaces, and processing environment.