What is Ozone?

Ozone (O3) is a form of oxygen (O2) that consists of three oxygen atoms. When ozone comes in contact with contaminants, such as bacteria and pathogens, it causes an oxidation reaction that eliminates the contaminants and breaks the ozone down into two oxygen molecules. This reaction is what makes ozone a safe and effective disinfectant. 

For over 100 years, ozone has been used as a disinfectant in many industries, such as food production, water treatment, and much more. Over time, ozone has shown that it is an improvement to many processes that conventionally use harsh chemicals as disinfectants. This is because of the extreme cost savings, and the many health benefits of using ozone in place of chemicals, such as chlorine.

Listed below are the benefits of ozone:

Ozone is the most powerful broad spectrum microbiological control agent available for safe usage
Ozone is very inexpensive to produce
Ozone kills bacteria 3000 times faster than chlorine
Ozone is 51% more powerful on bacterial cell walls than chlorine
Ozone REPLACES the use of hot water and steam as a sanitizer
Ozone can eliminate all chemical sanitizers
Ozone has full FDA-approval for direct food contact application
Ozone is chemical-free; it produces NO toxic by-products
Ozone is environment-friendly with its only by-product - oxygen
Ozone is an extremely effective disinfectant at low concentrations
Ozone extends the shelf life of food products
Ozone permits recycling of wastewater
Ozone is generated on site eliminating the transporting, storing and handling of hazardous materials
Ozone reduces Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD)
Ozone is much safer for employees than any conventional chemicals

Listed below is a timeline of approval dates:
 
1893 – Ozone was used as a disinfectant in drinking water
1909 – Ozone was used in food preservation in cold storage
1918 – Ozone was used in the United States in pools
1939 – Ozone was proven to prevent the growth of yeast and mold
1975 – FDA approved ozone as good manufacturing practice
1976 – EPA approved ozone as an antimicrobial
1982 – FDA approved ozone for the bottled water industry
1986 – Los Angeles ozone facility sanitizing 600 million gallons of water a day
1996 – USDA approved ozone as a disinfectant
1997 – FDA/USDA approved ozone as generally regarded as safe
1999 – EPA approved ozone safe for surface and ground water
2001 – FDA approved ozone as an antimicrobial agent on direct food sanitation
2004 – USDA approved ozone to be on the national organic program for sanitation