Ozone Sanitation vs. Conventional | The Sanitation Advantage | Organisms Killed by Ozone

About Ozone Sanitation Technology

Ozone is simply a gas composed of three oxygen atoms. It's an extraordinary sanitizing agent that's economically produced and remarkably effective in applications involving food processing and equipment sanitizing.

On June 26 2001, the FDA published a final ruling approving ozone as an additive to kill food-borne pathogens. This approval opened the food industry to begin utilizing ozone in their plants to replace conventional sanitation techniques such as chlorine, steam or hot water.

Applications of Ozone

Ozone is a gas that can safely be used in either a gaseous state or dissolved in water. The most common way to clean with ozone is to dissolve the gas in cold water and use the resulting solution in place of hot water and chemicals as a sanitizer. The key issue when ozone is used in water is the how much dissolved ozone is placed in the water. The concentration (ppm) X Time (minutes) = CT Value. If the concentration of ozone (ppm) is low then more time to sanitize is needed. The need to have higher concentrations is a problem for most ozone equipment in that 1.5 – 2.5 ppm is typical. To get good sanitation you need to have 10-15 ppm of ozone in the water. Typical ozone applications currently include:

Mold Control
Beverage Processing
BOD Control
Equipment Sanitization
Fruits/Vegetable Washer
CIP Systems

Ozonated Ice
Groundwater
Laundry Washing
Meat Processing
Medical Sterilization
Odor Control

Poultry Processing
Pork Processing
Processing Plant Sanitation
Waste Water Treatment
Dairy Sanitation
Much more...

Ozone Sanitation vs. Conventional

Historically, chlorine, hot water and steam have been the sanitizer of choice in the food and beverage industry. But experts have long shared a growing concern about dangerous chemical by-products, trihalomethanes (THM) or dioxins, produced when chlorine reacts with the organic matter found in water. These by-products are known carcinogens and when found in drinking water their levels are strictly regulated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Additionally, companies are looking for ways to cut costs and the elimination of hot water and steam are huge savings.

When ozone reacts with organic matter, it does NOT form any toxic by-products. In fact, the water in which ozone is delivered can be filtered and even reused—reducing the amount of water a plant utilizes. Since ozone is mixed with cold water energy savings are quickly realized.

Ozone does not leave toxic by-products similar to those related to chlorination
Ozone kills bacteria 3000 times faster than chlorine ozone
Ozone 51% more powerful on bacterial cell walls than chlorine

Since ozone is so highly reactive, it is also effective in controlling and removing films that sometime form on processing equipment. Ozone is an effective way of reducing biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD) and turbidity or other residues left in water.

Chlorinated wash systems require transport and storage of potentially hazardous, toxic chemicals. Ozone is generated on site and is produced on demand with no storage requirements. When an ozone generator is turned off, there are no dangerous substances left on the premises.

Employee working conditions are a major concern for environmental agencies and worker safety organizations. Using ozone eliminates the need to handle, mix and dispose of harsh chemicals. Overexposure to chemicals has been linked to various diseases and conditions, especially in association with the lungs and throat. No one has ever died as a result of exposure to ozone. OSHA has a maximum acceptable concentration limit for ozone, but the risks of over-exposure to ozone are limited to irritated skin and membranes. As a result, companies are able to lower their operating costs with regards to medical and liability insurance.

The Ozone Sanitation Advantage

Ozone is the most powerful broad spectrum microbiological control agent available for safe usage
Ozone is very inexpensive to produce
Ozone kills bacteria 3000 times faster than chlorine
Ozone is 51% more powerful on bacterial cell walls than chlorine
Ozone REPLACES the use of hot water and steam as a sanitizer
Ozone can eliminates all chemical sanitizers
Ozone has full FDA-approval for direct-food contact application
Ozone is chemical-free; it produces NO toxic by-products
Ozone is environment-friendly with its only by product - oxygen
Ozone is an extremely effective disinfectant at low concentrations
Ozone extends the shelf life of food products
Ozone permits recycling of wastewater
Ozone is generated on site eliminating the transporting, storing and handling of hazardous materials
Ozone reduces Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
Ozone is much safer for employees than any conventional chemicals

Organisms Killed by Ozone

Ozone has the ability to kill most known bacteria and other common organisms that are found in the food and beverage industries.

BACTERIA

Achromobacter butyri NCI-9404
Aeromonas harveyi NC-2
Aeromonas salmonicida NC-1102
Bacillus anthracis
Bacillus cereus
B. coagulans
Bacillus globigii
Bacillus licheniformis
Bacillus megatherium sp.
Bacillus paratyphosus
B. prodigiosus
Bacillus subtilis
B. stearothermophilus
Clostridium botulinum
C. sporogenes
Clostridium tetoni
Cryptosporidium
Coliphage
Corynebacterium diphthriae
Eberthella typhosa
Endamoeba histolica
Escherichia coli
Escherichia coli
Flavorbacterium SP A-3
Leptospira canicola
Listeria
Micrococcus candidus
Micrococcus caseolyticus KM-15
Micrococcus spharaeroides
Mycobacterium leprae
Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Neisseria catarrhalis
Phytomonas tumefaciens
Proteus vulgaris
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Pseudomonas
fluorscens (bioflims)
Pseudomonas putida
Salmonella choleraesuis
Salmonella enteritidis
Salmonella typhimurium
Salmonella typhosa
Salmonella paratyphi
Sarcina lutea
Seratia marcescens
Shigella dysenteriae
Shigella flexnaria
Shigella paradysenteriae
Spirllum rubrum
Staphylococcus albus
Staphylococcus aureus
Streptococcus 'C'
Streptococcus faecalis
Streptococcus hemolyticus
Streptococcus lactis
Streptococcus salivarius
Streptococcus viridans
Torula rubra
Vibrio alginolyticus & angwillarum
Vibrio clolarae
Vibrio comma
Virrio ichthyodermis NC-407
V. parahaemolyticus

CYSTS

Cryptosporidium parvum
Giardia lamblia
Giardia muris

YEAST

Baker's yeast
Candida albicans-all forms
Common yeast cake
saccharomyces cerevisiae
saccharomyces ellipsoideus
saccharomyces sp.

VIRUS

Adenovirus (type 7a)
Bacteriophage (E.coli)
Coxackie A9, B3, & B5
Cryptosporidium
Echovirus 1, 5, 12, &29
Encephalomyocarditis
Hepatitis A
HIV
GD V11 Virus
Onfectious hepatitis
Influenza
Legionella pneumophila
Polio virus (Poliomyelitus) 1, 2 & 3
Rotavirus
Tobacco mosaic
Vesicular Stomatitis

FUNGUS & MOLD SPORES

Aspergillus candidus
Aspergillus flavus (yellowish-green)
Aspergillus glaucus (bluish-green)
Aspergillus niger (black)
Aspergillus terreus, saitoi & oryzac
Botrytis allii
Colletotrichum lagenarium
Fusarium oxysporum
Grotrichum
Mucor recomosus A & B (white-gray)
Mucor piriformis
Oospora lactis (white)
Penicillium cyclopium
P. chrysogenum & citrinum
Penicillium digitatum (olive)
Penicillium glaucum
Penicillium expansum (olive)
Penicillium egyptiacum
Penicillium roqueforti (green)
Rhizopus nigricans (black)
Rhizopus stolonifer

PROTOZOA

Paramecium
Nematode eggs
Chlorella vulgaris (Algae)
All Pathogenic and Non-pathogenic forms of Protozoa

ALGAE

Chlorella vulgaris
Thamnidium
Trichoderma viride
Verticillium albo-atrum
Verticillium dahliae

FUNGAL PATHONGENS

Alternaria solani
Botrytis cinerea
Fusarium oxysporum
Monilinia fruiticola
Monilinia laxa
Pythium ultimum
Phytophthora erythroseptica
Phytophthora parasitica
Rhizoctonia solani
Rhizopus stolonifera
Sclerotium rolfsii
Sclerotinia sclerotiorum