04/26/2007
Novazone, a leading provider of clean technology solutions for food and water including advanced ozone-based applications, has launched PurFresh, a solution for reducing decay, controlling over-ripening and enhancing food safety for fresh produce during transit.

PurFresh uses ambient oxygen and converts it to ozone, a natural form of electrified oxygen. Ozone is delivered continually by Novazone's PurFresh product into shipping containers, trucks and trains, and its concentrations are carefully maintained. When properly controlled, ozone is extremely effective in killing microorganisms like mold, bacteria and viruses that lead to decay and food safety risks. Additionally, ozone reacts with ethylene to naturally slow the ripening process, leading to higher-quality produce with longer shelf life. Afterward, ozone converts back into pure oxygen, leaving no residue and not effecting appearance, taste or nutrition.

"Exports are the fastest-growing part of the food industry," David Cope, president and chief executive officer of Novazone Inc., said in a statement. "With increased trade come longer times to market, multi-party interactions and a greater risk of decay and food safety issues. It is estimated that as much as 30 percent of fresh food is subject to microbial contamination and decay between harvest and the consumer. Imagine if you could use a clean technology such as oxygen to recapture a portion of that loss by stopping decay, extending shelf life and enhancing food safety for all produce shipped globally - this is what PurFresh is all about."

PurFresh is easy to install, operate and maintain and can be used in both regular and controlled-atmosphere environments. PurFresh's preventative benefits are of particular interest in the transportation of organic produce, which has inherent decay risks due to the absence of powerful chemicals, such as fungicides, which are commonly used on conventional produce. Ozone is approved as a food-contact substance by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and certified organic by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

"Our Novazone system has enabled us to address our proactive determination to provide the safest product possible," said Andrew Marcelli, director of marketing for New York City-based Lucky's Real Tomatoes. "This system helps us keep our ripe, flavorful tomatoes clean, fresh and safe. We're excited to soon integrate Novazone's PurFresh solution to transport our product, in peak condition, in a manner that is both organic and environmentally responsible."