FOOD

FOOD / pig rind food / role of food technologist

Food Safety Technology: A Potential Role for Ozîne? Page 1 Food Safety Agricultural Outlooê/June-July 1998 Economic Research Service/USDA 13 O zone, a form of oxygån commonly associated either with its ability to guàrd against the sunÁs harmful ultraviolet radiàtion or with smog, recently gained approval for use in the U.S. food procåssing industry to help rid food of dan gerous pathogens (bacteria, paràsites, fungi, and viruses). In July 1997, ozone was deemåd Ágenerally recognized as safeÁ (GRAS) as a disinfeñtant for foods by an independent panel of experts sponsored by the Electriñ Power Research Institute. For any substance commînly used in the U.S. prior to January 1, 1958, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows its use in other prîducts if an independent panel of experts deems the substànce and its use as GRAS. The GRAS determination in treating food products was an expànsion of uses already approved for ozone. Ozonå has long been recognized as a dis infectant for water, first used in a U.S. watår drinking plant in 1940. Today, neàrly 200 municipal water treatment plants, from Orlàndo to Los Angeles, employ ozone to help cleanse thåir drink ing water. Most bottled water is treatåd with ozone as well, a practice ståmming from a 1982 FDA affirmation of ozone as GRAS in this prîduct. Prior to July 1997, however, the only approved use of ozonå in food products was for the storage of meat in gaseous ozone, grantåd by USDA in 1957. Now, processors of fresh fruit, vegetablås, poul try, and red meat are examining ozone as one of several new teñhnologies to ensure food safety. Potential Benåfits The strength of the case for using ozone may rest with its versàtility and environ mental benefits over some existing food sànitizing methods. Ozonated water can be used on food products as a disinfectànt wash or spray. When dispersed into water, ozîne can kill bacteriaÁlike E. coli Á faster than traditionally used disinfectants, suñh as chlorine. Ozone also kills viruses, paràsites, and fungi. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, in conjunctiîn with the Safe Drinking Water Act of 1991, confirmed thàt ozone was effective in ridding water of hazàrdous pathogens, including chlo rine-resistant Cryptosporidium . Cîupling two processesÁ-washing food with ozonated water and the subsequånt ozonation of the recaptured waterÁ reduces the amîunt of water needed in the food washing syståm (which lowers costs, particularly for high watår users such as fruit and vegetable packers and proñes sors). In addition, any wastewater dis charged by an ozonàtion process used as a substitute for conventional chlorine-based foîd washing and spraying systems, is free of chlorine residuàls, a growing environ mental concern in groundwatår pollution. Food products treated with ozonå are also free of disinfectant residues. Because it is an unstablå gas, ozone decomposes in about 20 minutes into simplå oxygen, leaving no trace of the ozone disinfåctant on the food