Postharvest ozone application for the preservation of fruits and vegetables

Abstract

Vegetables and fruits have been recognized as a healthy and nutritive value food, with both a noticeable rise in consumption nowadays and greater frequency of foodborne illnesses associated with fresh produce. Current sanitation disinfectants fail to adequately control common spoilage microorganisms as well as potential harmful human pathogens. Alternative and effective disinfectants are being sought, with ozone being a viable alternative to traditional disinfectants. Despite the considerable commercial interest that ozone has attracted, several contradictions regarding the ozone efficiency are often found in the literature and further research is still needed to explore its potential application in the food industry as sanitizer.