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Ozone is a very strong disinfectant and oxidizer. Any pathogen or contaminant that can be disinfected, altered or removed via an oxidation process will be affected by ozone. It is the strongest of all molecules available for disinfection in water treatment, and is second only to elemental fluorine in oxidizing power. Compared to chlorine, the most common water disinfection chemical, ozone is a more than 50% stronger oxidizer and acts over 3,000 times faster. Both chlorine and fluorine are highly toxic chemicals.
For more than a century, ozone has been used in Europe for purifying drinking water. Here in the United States, ozone is used for purifying bottled water and for decontaminating cooling towers. The City of Los Angeles currently uses ozone to purify its water supply. But ozone is not limited to drinking water.
On June 23, 2001, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration officially granted GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) status to ozone for use in food-contact applications. With full FDA approval in place, food processors immediately began putting this exciting new technology to use in their plants.
Today, ozone technology is used in the processing of meat, poultry, seafood and fresh produce because it is recognized as the safest, most cost-effective and chemical-free way of dealing with food safety management. Knowledgeable food processors have identified the No. 1 benefit of using ozone—it extends the shelf life of their product—so important in the competitive world of today's international food industry.
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