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Ozone fights |
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Ozone fights E. coli Poultry farmers hope process wins approval
By Robert Gehrke, Associated Press Salt Lake City - Poultry farmers are hoping a technology now used to remove microorganisms from bottled water will prove effective in fighting E. coli and other bacteria in poultry, meat and produce. The process, which is also being used for medical sterilization and food processing in Europe, uses ozone to react with the microorganisms. "It is the most effective anti-microbial agent on the face of the earth," said Bill Stoddard, president of Cyclopss Corp. Cyclopss is the Salt Lake City-based company working to get approval from the United States Department of Agriculture to use the ozone treatment commercially on meat, poultry and produce. Tests to begin next month The objective of the tests is to show the USDA that spraying the poultry with ozone-infused water is an effective way to kill microorganisms like E. coli, Campylobacter and Salmonella. "Unlike most disinfection technologies that literally poison microorganisms, ozone literally chews its way through the cell membrane or the cell wall be reacting with the carbon bonds," Stoddard said. "As it chew through the cell wall, eventually it will perforate it and the cell will either implode or explode." He said tests have shown that the ozone-treated water doesn't change the taste, texture and color of the food and the process leaves behind no residue. The water can also be reused, since there aren't any chemical byproducts left behind. And because it reacts with the carbon bonds, common to all the organisms, it is impossible for bacteria to become resistant to ozone, as some have with antibiotics or heat, Stoddard said. Currently, most chicken producers treat product with chlorine. Last month, the Food and Drug Administration approved irradiating food. Ozone kills microbes
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