OzoneTreatment

Definition:Ozone(O
2008 Food Safety Network, University of Guelph

3
)isanaturallyoccurring,palebluegasthatmakesupthe
familiarUVshieldingozonelayerintheEarthsstratosphere.Unlikeoxygen
molecules(O
2
),ozonemoleculesarecomposedof3oxygenatoms(O
3
)insteadofthe
two.Ozoneisanunstablegasthatreadilydecomposesintooxygenandithasahalf
lifeofonly20minutesinroomtemperaturewater.Ozoneisformednaturally
hroughtheelectricaldischargeproducedbylightningorwhenthesunsultraviolet t
raysreactswiththeEarthsstratosphere.

Ozonecanalsobeproducedcommerciallywiththehelpofozonegenerators.Ozone
generatorsproduceozonebycreatinganelectricaldischargeacrossaflowofeither
pureoxygenorair.Sinceozoneishighlyreactive,andhasashorthalflife,itcannot
bestoredasagasortransported,consequentlyozoneisalwaysgeneratedonsite
forimmediateuse.
UsesinCanadasFoodIndustry
Ozoneisastrongoxidizingandsanitizingagentcapableofkillingnumerous
microorganismsbyoxidizingtheircellmembranes.Scientificevidencesuggeststhat
ozoneismoreeffectivethanchlorineateliminatingawidervarietyofpotential
pathogensincludingbacteria,parasites,andmouldandyeastspores.Unlikemany
othersanitizingagents,ozonedoesnotnegativelyimpacttheenvironmentbecause
itquicklyandeasilydegradesintooxygen(O
2
).InCanada,ozoneisusedinseveral
industrialapplicationsincluding:
WaterTreatment:InCanada,relativelyfewwatertreatmentplants(exceptin
Quebec)useozonefordisinfection.Typically,disinfectionbyozone,chlorineor
ultravioletradiationconstitutesthefinalstepinmunicipalwatertreatment.When
ozoneisapplied,asagas,fordrinkingwatertreatment,itisdoneprimarilybecause
ofitsoxidativestrength.Thispowerfuloxidationpotentialallowsozoneto
effectivelyreduceoreliminateoffcolor,aftertasteandodor,allofwhichmaybe
fundamentalproblemsassociatedwithaspecificwatersupply.Moreimportantly,
ozonewilleffectivelydestroybacteriaandinactivatevirusesmorerapidlythanany
otherdisinfectantchemical.Ozonewillalsooxidizeheavymetals.Ironand
manganesecanbereducedtoverylow,safelevelsinwatersuppliesthroughozone
oxidation.
Inthebottlingindustry,ozoneisoftenaddedtothewaterassoonasthewateris
collected.Itslevelinthewateriskeptconstantthroughoutthebottlingprocessto
inhibitthegrowthofmicroorganisms.
FoodIndustry:Ozonecanbebubbledthroughwaterintowhichitwillpartially
dissolve.Thisozonatedwaterthencanbeusedforwashingfoods,particularly
produceandpoultry,toreducemicrobialloads.Controlledstudiesreportthat
ozonatedwatermayactuallyprovidegreaterthan90%reductionoftotalbacterial
OzoneTreatment

countsforsomevegetables.Suchtreatmentshavealsobeenshowntoreducefungal
decay.Besidesreducingmicrobialloadsinwashwater,ozonecanextendtheshelf
lifeofproduceinstorage.However,thisapplicationisnotpermittedinCanada(see
CanadianRegulations).Forstorageapplications,theozoneisemittedperiodically
intothestoragearea.Aswithmanyoxidizingagents,exposuretohighenough
concentrationsofozoneisharmfultohumans.Ozonatedstorageareasshouldbe
2008 Food Safety Network, University of Guelph

enclosedandtheozoneallowedtodissipatepriortoworkersenteringthearea.
Duringtheozonationprocess,ozoneisreadilyconsumed.Thus,washwatermustbe
ozonated continually. Typically poultry and produce processing use a great deal of
water. Thus, ozone can be used for treating recirculated water in poultry and
produce processing industries. Ozonating this water allows it to be reused, thus
providingcostsavings.
Ozoneis also permitted for usein Canadaasa food additive ata maximum level of
useconsistentwithgoodmanufacturingpractice.Ozoneisusedasamaturingagent
(speeds up the aging process) in cider and wine and as a chemosterilant (controls
pestpopulations)inwaterrepresentedasmineralorspringwater.
CanadianRegulations
Asstatedabove,ozoneispermittedforuseinCanadaasafoodadditiveata
maximumlevelusedconsistentwithgoodmanufacturingpractice.Ozoneis
currentlyusedinciderandwinetospeeduptheagingprocessandinmineraland
springwatertoreducemicrobialpopulations.HealthCanadahasalsoapprovedthe
useofozoneforthesanitationoffoodcontactsurfaces.
Theapplicationofozonetothewatersupplyincludingrecirculatedwashwateris
permittedasanacceptablewatertreatmentprovidedthatthefollowingconditions
aremet:
1. The amount of ozone added to the water does not exceed the minimum
level required to effectively reduce the microbial levels in the water
(including water to make ice) in accordance with Good Manufacturing
Practices (GMPs). A processor and the manufacturer of the ozone
generating equipment should determine and validate the amount of
ozone needed to achieve disinfection and no more than that amount
wouldbeadded.
2. The concentration of residual (remaining) ozone in the water that may
comeintodirectcontactwiththefreshfoodisnegligible.In otherwords,
GoodManufacturingPracticeswouldbeappliedandnomoreozoneother
than that which is needed for disinfection would be applied to thewater
resultinginminimalornoresidualozone.

OzoneTreatment
2008 Food Safety Network, University of Guelph

3. If present, residual (remaining) ozone in recirculated wash water would
notbringaboutachangeinthecharacteristicsofthefreshfoodandshall
be removed (e.g. filtered) from the wash water prior to its contact with
produceorpoultrycarcasses/parts.
4. Theozoneinthesystemisnotusedforthepurposeofpreservationofthe
freshfood.
5. The ozone generator shall not generate ozone into the air, incidental to
theirnormaloperation,atalevelinexcessof0.05ppm.
LabelingRegulations:Thecurrentregulationsforbottledwaterrequirethat
producerswhoaddozonetomineralwaterorspringwatermustincludea
statementtothiseffectontheprincipaldisplaypaneloftheproductlabel.Butrules
governingfoodadditivesalsorequirethattheaddedozonebelistedasan
ingredient.SounderthecurrentRegulations,ozone,whenaddedtospringwateror
mineralwater,mustbelistedontheproductlabeltwice:intheproductslistof
ingredientsandinaseparatestatementontheprincipaldisplaypanel.
EfficiencyofOzone
To date, the most commonly used drinking water disinfectants in Canada include
chlorine, chloramine, UV light, ozone, and chlorine dioxide. Compared to chlorine
based disinfectants, ozone is more efficient in the inactivation of bacteria, viruses,
andprotozoa.SimilartoUVlight,ozoneishighlyeffectiveatthepointoftreatment,
utanadditionaldisinfectant(usuallychlorineorchloramine)needstobeaddedto b
supplyaresidualeffect.

The efficacy of disinfection can be predicted based on a knowledge of the residual

concentration of disinfectant, temperature, pH (for chlorine and chloramine), and
contact time. This relationship is commonly referred to as the CT concept and is
used by public supply systems as one tool for ensuring adequate inactivation of
organisms during disinfection. The table below provides CT values for 99%
inactivation of selected bacteria using different disinfectants at 5C. CT values are
theproductofC(theresidualconcentrationofdisinfectant,measuredinmg/L)and
T(thedisinfectantcontacttime,measuredinminutes).

Table:CTv esfor9 tionat5C alu 9%inactiva
Disinfectantagent pH E.
coli
a
(mgmin/L)
Giardia
lamblia
b

(m L) gmin/
Poliovirus
a
(m )
1
gmin/L
Freechlorine 67 0.034 5 0.0 3
c
246 1.12.5
Preformed
chloramines
89 95180 1470 7 683740
Chlorinedioxide 67 0.40.75 17 0.26.7
Ozone 67 0.02 1.3 0.10.2
Source: Health Canada (2008).
OzoneTreatment

From this table, it is apparent that, coliform bacteria (bacteria naturally present in
the intestines of humans and animals) are easier to inactivate using common
chemicaldisinfectantscomparedtomostprotozoansandviruses.Itisalsoapparent
that chloramines have a much higher CT value than any of the other disinfectants
listed. This means that in order to achieve the same level of inactivation with
chloramine, a higher disinfectant concentration or a longer contact time, or a
combinationofboth,isnecessary.Conversely,ozonehasthelowestCTvaluesthan
the other disinfectants listed which means that a lower concentration or shorter
contact time is necessary to achieve the same level of inactivation as the other
2008 Food Safety Network, University of Guelph
chestdisco fort,and irritationofthenose,throat,andtrachea.
Also, as a powerful oxidizing agent, ozone can transform bromidea naturally
occurringelementinwaterintobromate,acarcinogen(cancercausingagent).The
concentrationofbromideinrawwaterisamajorfactorintheformationofbromate.
Themajornaturalsourcesofbromideingroundwateraresaltwaterintrusionand

disinfectants.
Controlled studies also report that ozonated water may actually provide greater
than 90% reduction of total bacterial counts for some produce. A study conducted
by Hongde Zhou at the University of Guelph found that ozone is able to effectively
inactivate all test microorganisms (E.coli O157:H7, Listeria spp, and Salmonella)
present on the surface of fresh vegetables and fruits (OMAFRA, 2002). This
researcher found that ozone treatment at a dose of less than 10 mg/L was as
effective in destroying all test microorganisms present on the produce samples as
chlorineatadoseof200mg/L.Theinactivationefficienciesincreasedastheozone
doseincreased.However,theinactivationwouldbeleveledoffafterthecontacttime
became more than 5minutes, perhaps due to the presence of more resistant
microorganisms. In addition, ozone treatment had little negative effects on food
quality (produces no taste or odour in the water) and was very effective in
eliminating the microorganisms present in water, thereby, providing a great
potentialtoreusethefoodprocessingwaterinpractice.
Ozone generators are costly, complicated, and require a high level of technical
competence to operate and maintain. Unlike chlorine and iodine, ozone does not
rotect the water after application and is often combined with activated carbon
iltrationtoachieveamorecompletewatertreatment.
p
f

HealthConcerns
HealthCanadaconductedastudywhichshowedthatbothhighandlow
concentrationsofozonecanbedetrimentaltohumanhealth.Highlevelsofozone
resultedinimmediateoxidizingeffectsandcellulardeath,whilelowlevelsofozone
resultedinaninterferencewithmetabolicprocessesinthebodyandeventually
causedprematurecellularaging.Ozonegasisalsoanirritantthatcancausecoughs,
m
OzoneTreatment

bromidedissolutionfromsedimentaryrocks.
2008 Food Safety Network, University of Guelph

Sewageandindustrialeffluentaswell
as road and agricultural runoff may also contribute to elevated bromide levels in
surface waters. For most Canadians, exposure to bromate is unlikely to be
significant,becauserelativelyfewCanadiantreatmentplants(exceptinQuebec)use
ozonefordisinfection.Thissituationmaychangeaswaterutilitiesseekalternatives
to chlorination. An interim standard (IMAC) has recently been developed for
bromateintheGuidelinesforCanadianDrinkingWaterQuality.
InformationSources:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency. (2007). Dairy Establishment Inspection Manual:
Chapter 10 Prerequisite Program Tasks. Retrieved from
h/fssa/dailai/man/ch10e.shtml http://www.inspection.gc.ca/englis
CanadianFoodInspectionAgency.(2007).MeatandPoultryProductsManualof
Procedures:Chapter19ApplicationofMicrobialControlAgents.Retrieved
from
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/meavia/mmopmmhv/chap19/
192e.shtml
CanadianFoodInspectionAgency.(2007).FacilitiesInspectionmanual:Chapter5
FacilityComplianceRequirementsFishInspectionRegulations(Watersupply).
Retrievedfrom
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/anima/fispoi/manman/fimmii/chap5s
u1e.shtml
DepartmentofJusticeCanada.(2008).FoodandDrugRegulations:FoodAdditives.
Retrievedfromhttp://laws.justice.gc.ca/en/showdoc/cr/C.R.C.c.870/bo
horboga:l_Bgb:l_16 ga:l_Bgb:l_16//en#anc
FoodProductDesign.(2002).OzoneAnotherLayerofFoodSafety.Retrievedfrom
azone.com/library/foodprodu df http://www.nov ctdesignfeb02.p
HealthCanada.(2008).WaterQuality:TotalColiforms.Retrievedfrom
http://www.hcsc.gc.ca/ewhsemt/pubs/watereau/coliforms
menttraitement_e.htm coliformes/treat l
HealthCanada.(2008).WaterQuality:Bromate.Retrievedfromhttp://www.hc
sc.gc.ca/ewhsemt/pubs/watereau/bromate/i_e.html
Health Canada. (2007). Proposed Regulations for Intentional Ozone Generators.
Retrieved from http://www.hcsc.gc.ca/cps
spc/legislation/consultation/ozone_e.html
Ozone

HealthCanada.(2002).RegulatoryIssuesRelatedtoLabelling.Retrievedfrom
http://www.hcsc.gc.ca/fnan/consultation/init/bottle_water
_06_e.html
Treatment
While we strive to make the information provided in this technical summary helpful and accurate, we make no representation
regarding the information, and disclaim liability arising out of errors or omissions, or use or non-use of the information.

2008 Food Safety Network, University of Guelph
1-866-503-7638
www.foodsafetynetwork.ca

eau_embouteillee
HealthCanada.(2006).FoodAdditivesPermittedForUseinCanada.Retrievedfrom
http://www.hcsc.gc.ca/fnan/securit/addit/diction/dict_food
alim_add_e.html
NutechO3,Inc.(2006).Ozone:ItsPropertiesandIndustrialUses.Retrievedfrom
http://www.nutecho3.com/ozone_primer.htm
OntarioMinistryofAgricultureFood&RuralAffairs.(2002).PracticalOptimization
ofOzonationProcessforEnhancingMicrobialSafetyandFoodQuality.
Retrievedfrom
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/research/foodsafety/2002/sf6018.ht
m
OntarioMinistryofAgriculture,FoodandRuralAffairs.(2006).MinimallyProcessed
FruitandVegetablesGoodManufacturingPracticesGuidebook.Retrievedfrom
https://ozone.scholarsportal.info/bitstream/1873/1895/1/260171.pdf

FormoreinformationonOzoneTreatmentorotherFoodSafetytopics,please
calltheFoodSafetyNetworktollfreeat186650FSNET(37638)orvisit
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