Ozone in Food Processing

The food industry is constantly challenged to provide healthy, minimally processed products that have an extended shelf life and are safe to eat. In response to consumer demands for 'greener' food additives, industry interest in ozone has increased in recent years. Excess ozone rapidly autodecomposes to produce oxygen and thus it leaves no residues in food. Ozone is increasingly accepted as an environmentally friendly technology. Ozone was affirmed to be Generally Recognised As Safe (GRAS) in contact with foodstuffs by a panel of food experts convened by the Electric Power Research Institute in 1996 and was subsequently approved as an Antimicrobial Agent in direct contact with foods of all types by the US Food and Drug Administration in 2001. In Ozone in Food Processing, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of ozone processing in the food industry, examining its applications across various food groups, including evaluations of the impacts on product quality and safety. The authors also address global regulatory and legislative requirements for ozone processing, and provide recommendations and opportunities for various health and safety-related issues, suggesting new applications for ozone processing in the food industry. Ozone in Food Processing is the first book to comprehensively review the theory and application of ozone in food processing, providing an insight into the current state-of-the-art applications as well as reviewing established and emerging applications in food processing, preservation and waste management. This book will be of interest to food scientists, engineers and microbiologists working in food processing, as well as academic researchers and lecturers in the subject area.