Use of Ozone in Meat Processing Premises Literature Review

Summary

​Ozone is a colourless to slightly bluish gas with a characteristic odour commonly experienced as the "fresh" odour accompanying thunderstorms.
Ozone is formed when oxygen is exposed to UV irradiation or an electrical charge. The oxygen molecules, O2, split to form ozone molecules, 03. This is a very unstable arrangement and the third oxygen molecule will split off to oxidise the first pollutant with which it comes in contact. The pollutant is destroyed, and oxygen remains.
Because of its powerful oxidising ability, ozone has been recognised since the early 1900's as an effective disinfectant, deodouriser and antipollutant.
It will disinfect air, destroy bad odours, toxic fumes, bacteria, algae, fungi, mould and mildew. It is more widely used commercially in the water and wastewater industries for purification and disinfection purposes than as a disinfectant in the food industry.
As an alternative to chlorine. ozone has been reported to have many beneficial characteristics that make it attractive for use in the food industry, subject to cost effectiveness. Potential uses for ozone in the meat industry include:decontamination of productdecontamination of surfaces and equipment in vehicles, boning rooms, slaughter floors and chillersdisinfection of effluentdeodorisation of rendering areasvermin treatment
The main disadvantage to the use of ozone in Australian meat processing premises is that it is toxic to humans in high concentrations and has been reported to produce undesirable qualities in meat such as discolouration and excessive carcase shrinkage.
This report aims to review the uses and potential benefits of ozone as well as the occupational health and safety risks associated with its use.
It was been funded by the Meat Research Corporation in order to determine whether further research work is warranted for the use of ozone as a decontaminant and deodourant of product, air and equipment in Australian meat processing premises.