The Natural Power of Ozone

The degree of shelf life extension is dependent on the point of initiation of ozone processing.

Ozone Systems

Systems vary in size to accommodate large processing plants as well as smaller distributor applications. Ozone systems can be likened to sophisticated HVAC systems in that they are quite reliable but do require some regular maintenance. Usually that maintenance capacity is not available “in house,” which has necessitated OEMs developing nationwide service capabilities. Sometimes that work is subcontracted to local firms such as refrigeration companies, while larger OEMs are vertically integrated and have their own nationwide service organizations. This vertical integration, from the initial application engineering all the way through to real-time monitoring and servicing of an installed system, provides the customer the best assurance of reliable system performance.

Reliability is very important to consider as plants become dependent on ozone. A nonworking ozone system can under some circumstances cause a complete plant shutdown, such as in water bottling facilities. Service and parts need to be readily available. This is best assured by knowing that the ozone system is being monitored 24/7 and comes with an assurance of quick service availability, both now and in the future. Be aware that many parts in an ozone system are specific to that OEM’s system and not readily obtained from other vendors.

Summing Up

As ozone’s use has grown into so many areas of food processing, its future applications seem limited only by the imagination of “outside the box” thinkers. Unfortunately, some of these applications become proprietary and are not readily disseminated. The good news is that there are a multitude of applications for which ozone has become a pivotal agent in improving our nation’s food quality.

Dr. Brandt, a founder and chairman of Ozone International, is a retired surgeon with previous work in microbiological research, subclinical infections, and operating room disinfection. He can be reached at [email protected].