Praxair, Inc., a supplier of industrial gases and related technologies to the food and beverage processing industries, announced a new ozone technology that improves the quality of fresh cut fruits and vegetables. The first unit has already been installed and is in operation at a major supplier to McDonald's Restaurants. Currently, chlorinated water is used routinely to disinfect produce. However, chlorine can cause changes in product taste and aroma, and chlorine by-products are not environmentally friendly. According to Praxair, ozone is a good alternative because fruits and vegetables treated with ozonated water retain their fresh qualities longer than those treated with chlorine. Ozone is tri-atomic oxygen. Unlike chlorine, ozone is effective in killing a wide variety of micro-organisms through oxidation of their cell membranes and leaves no toxic residuals behind. In Europe, ozone is used extensively in food and beverage processing in Europe. However, in the US, it has only commonly been used in beverage processing and for wastewater treatment. The United States Food and Drug Administration recently approved ozone as an anti-microbial agent for washing fruits and vegetables. The ozone process uses less water and leaves no chemical residue.
