Ozo Innovations has announced the application of eloclear by fogging to improve packhouse hygiene.

Packhouse hygiene underpins the shelf life of fresh produce and reduces contamination risks that can impact food safety. Fogging is a method of disinfection that uses small amounts of eloclear to sanitise large spaces.

Ozo Innovations has worked with a number of fresh produce packing companies to evaluate the impact of fogging in a range of environments, including cold stores. Leaf packers reported that they achieved a noticeable reduction of microbes on the walls of cold stores following a single treatment. Making eloclear fogging a regular part of the hygiene process will reduce the presence of spoilage organisms that can contaminate produce during packing.

Fresh produce suppliers can manufacture eloclear on site with the simple to use system, elocube. Ozos elocube platform – the size of a small fridge – transforms foodgrade salt and cold water into the powerful cleaner and terminal disinfectant. eloclear works killing bacteria, viruses, yeast and mould.

Rowan Gardner, CEO of Ozo Innovations, says, "This is the first stage of a significant programme of research into fresh produce hygiene that we are undertaking as part of an international R&D collaboration. We know that reducing microbes and pathogens on fresh produce improves product safety and extends shelf life in post harvest storage, and we plan to characterise our results using advanced metagenomic profiling of microflora on fresh produce and in packhouse environments.

"As packhouses are large and often difficult places to keep hygienically clean, it results in produce delivered from the field cross contaminated during storage and packing. Moulds, yeasts and bacteria can multiply on packhouse walls, floors, air handling surfaces and cold stores, contaminating produce and resulting in shorter shelf life and quality concerns. eloclear is the solution to these packhouse hygiene issues."

Visit Ozo Innovations on stand 12 at Fruit Focus on 19 July at East Malling Research Centre in Kent.