In which categories of the food processing industry are ozone decomposition catalysts specifically used?

In food processing workshops, pieces of frozen meat are immersed in an ozone solution, gradually regaining their vibrant red color. This is the magical application of ozone decomposition catalyst technology in meat processing.
Ozone decomposition catalyst technology, with its unique advantages, is revolutionizing the food processing industry. This technology uses catalysts to enhance the oxidizing power of ozone, enabling it to more efficiently decompose organic matter and kill microorganisms. In the food processing industry, ozone catalysis technology is primarily used for sterilization and disinfection, decolorization and bleaching, odor removal, and toxin degradation, becoming a crucial tool for improving food quality and safety.

Principles and Advantages

The core of ozone decomposition catalyst technology lies in using a catalyst to enhance the oxidation efficiency of ozone. Ozone itself is a strong oxidizing agent, with an oxidation potential as high as 2.07V, far exceeding traditional oxidants such as chlorine and chlorine dioxide.
When an appropriate catalyst is added, ozone can be activated to generate hydroxyl radicals in water, which have a stronger oxidizing power, thereby more effectively degrading various organic pollutants.
This technology offers several significant advantages in the food processing industry. It enables precise purification at the molecular level, improving the appearance of food without the use of chemical bleaching agents.
Ozone catalysis technology has excellent treatment effects on a wide range of organic compounds and microorganisms. It can efficiently decompose major pollutants such as volatile organic compounds, inorganic compounds, hydrogen sulfide, and ammonia, achieving a deodorization efficiency exceeding 99.5%. Ozone also has a strong bactericidal ability. At an ozone concentration of 0.3-2 mg/L in water, it can kill bacteria in 0.5-1 minutes.
This technology also offers both environmental and economic benefits. Ozone catalytic treatment produces no secondary pollution, with the final products being CO₂ and H₂O.
The equipment's low wind resistance significantly reduces exhaust power consumption, consuming only 0.54 kWh of electricity per 1,000 cubic meters/hour processed.

Application Cases

1. Aquatic Product Processing

In the processing of small yellow croaker, micro-nano ozone water technology demonstrates exceptional purification capabilities. By implementing a triple-stage purification system, the appearance of the aquatic product has been significantly improved.
The micro-nano ozone water machine utilizes nanobubble penetration technology, allowing 5 mg/L of high-concentration ozone water to penetrate the wrinkles of the fish skin, removing 92% of blood impurities within 30 minutes. Hydroxyl free radicals also destroy the hemoglobin structure, reducing the fish's turbidity by 85%. Even more surprising is that ozone water can specifically degrade tyrosinase, blocking the melanin synthesis pathway and increasing the fish's whiteness from 52 to 78, meeting EU appearance requirements for aquatic products without the need for any chemical bleaching agents.

2. Fruit and Vegetable Preservation

Addressing the problem of postharvest mold and rot in citrus, heat treatment combined with ozone technology offers an effective solution. Research has shown that hot water + ozone treatment significantly reduces the rot rate of citrus, preserving its commercial value.
After 75 days of storage, the rot rate in the hot water + ozone treatment was 0.49 times and 0.58 times lower than the control, hot water treatment, and ozone treatment, respectively. It also increases the peroxidase and superoxide dismutase activities in citrus, delaying ripening and aging.
During fruit storage, 2-3 ppm of ozone can inhibit mold growth, doubling the storage period.

3 Cereals, Oils, and Food

Aflatoxin contamination in peanut oil processing is a serious problem, and ozone decomposition catalyst technology plays a significant role here. Aflatoxin removal from peanuts is achieved using specially designed steam-frying equipment using ozone water.
The appropriate ozone water concentration and dosage are determined based on the aflatoxin contamination and moisture content of the peanuts. This maximizes aflatoxin removal while shortening the frying time, improving production efficiency, and reducing costs.

4. Meat Processing

In the meat processing sector, ozone catalysis technology solves the challenge of reconstitution of frozen meat. Using a pressure reverse osmosis design, low-temperature ozone is incorporated into the meat to achieve a decolorization effect.
This technology effectively oxidizes and reduces thawed meat to a state close to fresh meat. The treated meat product exhibits excellent surface decolorization, achieving a consistent and uniform color. It also maintains a normal odor, possessing the same aroma as fresh meat without any fishy odor. Colony counts show a sterilization rate of ≥99%, with no detectable E. coli.
Furthermore, processed meat products do not require secondary rinsing, saving significant labor and electricity costs.

5. Food Wastewater Treatment

Wastewater generated by food processing contains a large number of organic pollutants, and activated carbon catalytic ozone technology demonstrates its powerful treatment capabilities.
Research has shown that activated carbon catalytic ozone oxidation processes are significantly more efficient at removing organic matter than ozone oxidation alone.
When the contact reaction time is 30 minutes, the activated carbon catalytic ozone oxidation process achieves removal rates of 57.0%, 31.2%, 83.5%, and 95.0% for COD, TOC, UV254, and color in food yeast fermentation wastewater, respectively. The BOD5/COD ratio increases from 0.113 to 0.389, significantly improving the biodegradability of the wastewater.

With the food industry's ever-increasing safety and quality requirements, ozone catalysis technology is expected to play a vital role in the processing of more food products, providing consumers with safer, higher-quality food.
Through precise molecular-level purification, efficient hydroxyl radical oxidation, and a heterogeneous catalytic reaction mechanism, ozone decomposition catalyst technology has become an indispensable green technology in the modern food industry. As the pace of innovation accelerates, this technology is sure to bring more surprises to the food processing industry, driving the industry towards safer, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly development.

Author: Hazel
Date: 2025-10-22