Ozone, The Natural Sterilant
Ozone is produced naturally in the atmosphere by the action of ultraviolet light and lightning. It is a highly reactive and unstable molecule and a powerful oxidizing agent which quickly kills insects, bacteria, fungi and viruses on contact.

Safely Used For Over One Hundred Years
The Dutch began using ozone to purify drinking water in 1903. It is now used throughout the world and almost two hundred American municipal water treatment plants use ozone to cleanse drinking water. Many American cities are switching from chlorine-based water purification to ozone due to its superior anti-microbial activity and because of concerns about the effects of chlorine on human health and the environment. Since 1957, gaseous ozone has been accepted by the United States Department of Agriculture for preventing meat spoilage during long term storage.

Approved For Use On Foods
Recently, ozone was approved for use on organic foods by the USDA and as a food additive by the FDA. With these regulatory approvals ozone holds the distinction of being the only sterilant approved for use on all foods, including those labeled organic.

Enhanced Effectiveness With New Technology
The OzoFresh™ system utilizes newly developed, patented technology to maintain the antimicrobial activity of gaseous ozone for sufficient time to allow effective and reliable food sterilization and fumigation.

Preferred By Informed Consumers
A test market survey conducted in 1998 by an independent market research firm found that informed consumers prefer ozone as a food sterilant. In the survey three sterilization methods - chlorination, irradiation and ozonation - were described to consumers. When asked which method they would prefer for food treatment, eighty percent chose ozonation over the other methods.

Safe For The Consumer And the Environment
Ozone used in the OzoFresh™ process is generated entirely on site, as needed, using controlled electrical discharge. There is no opportunity for leaks or spills during shipment or storage. Newly generated ozone is pumped into a closed, stainless steel treatment vessel containing the material to be treated. Products remain in the vessel until sterilization is complete. Excess ozone is then pumped from the treatment vessel and converted back to oxygen before release to the atmosphere. Trace amounts of ozone remaining within the treated materials revert to atmospheric oxygen within minutes, leaving absolutely no residue. The only detectable difference in treated materials is the absence of microbial and insect contamination.

An Important Replacement For Methyl Bromide
Methyl bromide, a fumigant for insect-infested food products, has been identified as a significant atmospheric ozone depleting substance. In accordance with the Montreal Protocol, an international treaty designed to protect the Earth’s ozone layer, production of methyl bromide was reduced, in stages, beginning in January, 1999. Complete production phaseout is scheduled for 2005. Uses of this pesticide include fumigation of entire buildings for elimination of insects and rodent infestation, control of insect infestation in stored food products and treatment of soil for elimination of nematodes which attack the roots of strawberry plants. Although the OzoFresh™ system will not replace methyl bromide in all instances, it can be used to eliminate insects and other pests in fruits, vegetables and many other food products.

back to top