Problems in the preservation of fruits and vegetables
Fruits and vegetables become rotten after being picked for a period of time because they are infested by microorganisms, therefore, to effectively preserve fruits and vegetables, microorganisms should be controlled. At this stage, low-temperature storage is the more commonly used method of preservation of fruits and vegetables, but because some microorganisms can survive in a little below 0 ℃ or below 5 ℃, so the low temperature can not make the growth of pathogenic microorganisms to be completely inhibited. Low-temperature storage tends to cause cold damage to fruits and vegetables involved in the tropics and subtropics, thus weakening the inhibitory effect on pathogenic microorganisms. Some cold storage with high humidity provides favourable conditions for the growth and reproduction of fungal spores such as moulds.
Application of ozone in fruit and vegetable preservation
Inhibit respiratory strength, reduce nutrient consumption
Ozone production is generally accompanied by negative ions occur, the two together, it will promote the fruit metabolic activity decreased significantly, reduce water loss and nutrient consumption, to maintain the freshness and flavour of fruits and vegetables.
Degradation and elimination of harmful gases such as ethylene, formation of moulds.
Microbiological inhibitors ozone is a strong oxidant, can degrade the surface of fruits and vegetables treated with organic oxygen, organic phosphorus and other pesticide residues. In the fruit and vegetable storage, ozone treatment can eliminate the respiration of fruits and vegetables released by the ethylene, acetaldehyde, ethanol and other harmful gases, thereby reducing the respiration of fruits; ozone and ethylene chemical reaction process of intermediate oxides or moulds and other microorganisms is an effective inhibitor.
Inhibit and kill germs to prevent rotting and mould growth
The rotting of fruits and vegetables is fundamentally due to microbial bacterial erosion. Using ozone’s strong bactericidal ability, it is effective in the elimination of green mould, bacillus, penicillin, bacillus, as well as the eradication of black tilth rot, soft rot and other diseases.
