Category Archives: Ozone

Research – Recent Advances in Non-Contact Food Decontamination Technologies for Removing Mycotoxins and Fungal Contaminants

Posted on July 20, 2024 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

Agricultural food commodities are highly susceptible to contamination by fungi and mycotoxins, which cause great economic losses and threaten public health. New technologies such as gamma ray irradiation, ultraviolet radiation, electron beam irradiation, microwave irradiation, pulsed light, pulsed electric fields, plasma, ozone, etc. can solve the problem of fungal and mycotoxin contamination which cannot be effectively solved by traditional food processing methods. This paper summarizes recent advancements in emerging food decontamination technologies used to control various fungi and their associated toxin contamination in food. It discusses the problems and challenges faced by the various methods currently used to control mycotoxins, looks forward to the new trends in the development of mycotoxin degradation methods in the future food industry, and proposes new research directions.

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Posted in antifungal, Cold Atmospheric Plasma, Cold Plasma, Food Microbiology Research, Food Technology, fungi, mold, Mold Toxin, Mold/ MouldAscospores, Mould/Mold, Mycotoxin, Ozone, Research, Technology, UV Microbiology

The Use of Ozone Technology: An Eco–Friendly Method for the Sanitization of the Dairy Supply Chain

Posted on February 28, 2023 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Abstract

The dairy field has considerable economic relevance in the agri-food system, but also has the need to develop new ‘green’ supply chain actions to ensure that sustainable products are in line with consumer requirements. In recent years, the dairy farming industry has generally improved in terms of equipment and product performance, but innovation must be linked to traditional product specifications. During cheese ripening, the storage areas and the direct contact of the cheese with the wood must be carefully managed because the proliferation of contaminating microorganisms, parasites, and insects increases significantly and product quality quickly declines, notably from a sensory level. The use of ozone (as gas or as ozonated water) can be effective for sanitizing air, water, and surfaces in contact with food, and its use can also be extended to the treatment of waste and process water. Ozone is easily generated and is eco-sustainable as it tends to disappear in a short time, leaving no residues of ozone. However, its oxidation potential can lead to the peroxidation of cheese polyunsaturated fatty acids. In this review we intend to investigate the use of ozone in the dairy sector, selecting the studies that have been most relevant over the last years.

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbial growth, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Microbiology Risk, Ozone

Research – Detrimental Effect of Ozone on Pathogenic Bacteria

Posted on December 27, 2021 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Background: Disinfection of medical devices designed for clinical use associated or not with the growing area of tissue engineering is an urgent need. However, traditional disinfection methods are not always suitable for some biomaterials, especially those sensitive to chemical, thermal, or radiation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the minimal concentration of ozone gas (O3) necessary to control and kill a set of sensitive or multi-resistant Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The cell viability, membrane permeability, and the levels of reactive intracellular oxygen (ROS) species were also investigated;

Material and Methods: Four standard strains and a clinical MDR strain were exposed to low doses of ozone at different concentrations and times. Bacterial inactivation (cultivability, membrane damage) was investigated using colony counts, resazurin as a metabolic indicator, and propidium iodide (PI). A fluorescent probe (H2DCFDA) was used for the ROS analyses;

Results: No reduction in the count colony was detected after O3 exposure compared to the control group. However, the cell viability of E. coli (30%), P. aeruginosa (25%), and A. baumannii (15%) was reduced considerably. The bacterial membrane of all strains was not affected by O3 but presented a significant increase of ROS in E. coli (90 ± 14%), P. aeruginosa (62.5 ± 19%), and A. baumanni (52.6 ± 5%);

Conclusion: Low doses of ozone were able to interfere in the cell viability of most strains studied, and although it does not cause damage to the bacterial membrane, increased levels of reactive ROS are responsible for causing a detrimental effect in the lipids, proteins, and DNA metabolism. View Full-Text

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Posted in Decontamination Microbial, E.coli, Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, Food Pathogen, Food Technology, microbial contamination, Microbiological Risk Assessment, Microbiology, Microbiology Investigations, Ozone, Pathogen, pathogenic, Pseudomonas, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Pseudomonas fluorescens, Research, Technology

Research – Ozone Treatments for Preserving Fresh Vegetables Quality: A Critical Review

Posted on March 21, 2021 by | Leave a comment

MDPI

Ozone is recognized as an antimicrobial agent for vegetables storage, washing, and processing. This strong disinfectant is now being used in the food industry. In this review, the chemical and physical properties of ozone, its generation, and factors affecting ozone processing efficiency were explained as well as recent regulatory developments in the food industry. By then selecting three vegetables, we show that ozone avoids and controls biological growth on vegetables, keeping their attractive appearance and sensorial qualities, assuring nutritional characteristics’ retention and maintaining and increasing the shelf-life. In liquid solution, ozone can be used to disinfect processing water and vegetables, and in gaseous form, ozone helps to sanitize and preserve vegetables during storage. The multifunctionality of ozone makes it a promising food processing agent. However, if ozone is improperly used, it causes some deleterious effects on products, such as losses in their sensory quality. For an effective and a safe use of ozone, specific treatment conditions should be determined for all kinds of vegetables. In a last step, we propose highlighting the different essential characteristics of ozone treatment in order to internationally harmonize the data relating to the treatments carried-out.

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Posted in Food Micro Blog, Food Microbiology, Food Microbiology Blog, Food Microbiology Research, Food Microbiology Testing, microbial contamination, Microbiology, Ozone, Research