Cold Storage

Cold storage rooms hold various types of foods including vegetables, fruits, meats, sea foods, etc. Injecting ozone in the air inside the cold storage rooms maintains the environment inside bacteria free. As a result the bacterial activity on the surfaces of foods under storage is minimal, this increasing the shelf life of the foods. The safe factor is that since ozone has a very short half-life, there is no toxicity either in the foods nor in the environment. Ozone has been found to be of tremendous advantage in such cold storage rooms for better maintenance of stored foods.

Warehouse & cold storage can easily maintain required temperature, humidity & cleanliness. But it is very difficult to maintain safety & hygiene. It is important to maintain micro trial count under control or else shelf life & quality gets significantly affected. Main challenge in warehouse & cold storage is to control mold, fungi’s, air bone bacteria & viruses.

Use of control dose of gaseous ozone in air handling system can significantly control the growth of mold, fungi’s, and microorganisms. Originally Ozonated cold storage did not allow growth of mold & fungi’s. if mold & fungi are already present in food, ozone starts recovery them & also removes odor produced by them. Lower temperature in cold storage slows down the opening process. Some fruits like apple & banana releases ethylene gas during slow ripening process & ethylene in the air can accelerate the ripening process. Use of ozone in cold storage reacts with ethylene & slows the ripening process.

Cold storage rooms hold various types of foods including vegetables, fruits, meats, sea foods, etc. The temperatures vary from low cool to way below freezing. All food products, being highly degradable, start breeding bacteria, even in such cold environments. Atmospheric bacteria anchor on the foods and attack the surfaces of the foods under storage. This slowly spreads further inside decaying the food. This is the same process that takes place at ambient temperatures. The only difference is that due to low temperatures inside a cold storage room, this process of decaying is slower as compared with higher ambient temperatures. This requires a control on the bacterial growth in the atmosphere surrounding the foods. Using disinfectants helps in controlling the bacterial activity, but the disinfectant used should not become a part of the food when consumed. Ozone has been found to be of tremendous advantage in such cold storage rooms.

Injecting ozone in the air inside the cold storage rooms maintains the environment inside bacteria free. As a result the bacterial activity on the surfaces of foods under storage is minimal. It has also been found that vegetables, fruits, meats, sea foods, even eggs washed in ozonised water increases the shelf life of these products. This is because ozone destroys the surface bacteria which are present on all the foods, thus reducing the bacterial activity on the surfaces of the foods, thereby reducing the decaying and increasing the shelf life. The same principle applies in applying ozone in the environment inside the cold storage rooms. The foods store fresher and longer with ozone than without it inside the cold storage rooms. The best part is that since there is very short half-life for ozone, there is no toxicity in the environment and also in the foods. The ozone molecules reduce back to oxygen leaving environment free of any toxicity.

Ozone is used as a biocide. And, with the same effectiveness as in swimming pools, this substance not only disinfects the water but also attacks the algae and fungi that may form, reducing its growth and keeping the water exposed to sunlight under appropriate conditions for bathing. Ozone is so effective because it has the ability to reduce the biofilm that forms in a cold room, which is the main cause of corrosion and the reduction of heat exchange. In fact, ozone is more effective than chlorine as a biocide. This has been demonstrated by comparing the level of corrosion on the surfaces, in those areas where one product has been applied and another to eliminate the biofilm.

That is why the use of ozone generators in refrigeration chambers is, without a doubt, the ideal solution. Since it leaves no residue, it is highly recommendable to apply it when storing fruit and vegetables, as well as in the meat industry, or in the fishing industry. The ozone generators are not limited to camouflage the odors, but they completely destroy the molecules that generate them, leaving behind a deodorized cold room. And since ozone eliminates microorganisms, disinfection is absolute.It’s use does not add any odor or taste to stored foods. In addition, in the case of meats and fish, as well as fruits and vegetables, the use of ozone prolongs the shelf life and the quality of the food, without causing any type of variation to its quality or nature, since the gas eliminates any indication of fungi or bacteria.

Advantages

• Ozone gas can be distributed throughout a cold storage facility at low levels
• Ozone-sterilized ice is use to pack fresh fish and seafood for longer freshness
• Ozone gas is used in meat coolers to inhibit microbiological growth and extent their shelf life
• Ozone is dissolved in water to wash fruits and vegetables and remove bacteria
• Low levels of ozone gas can be used in containers to extend shelf life upon delivery
• Dissolved ozone is used to wash meat and poultry to remove bacteria and extend refrigerated shelf life
• Food to be stored in ozonized atmospheres should be packed to allow circulation of the ozone and air
• Ozone control of mold and spores is best conducted in relative high humidity areas

Ozone Concentration required