title: Application of ozonated dry ice (ALIGAL™ Blue Ice) for packaging and transport in the food industry.
abstract: Dry ice is used by meat and poultry processors for temperature reduction during processing and for temperature maintenance during transportation. ALIGAL™ Blue Ice (ABI), which combines the antimicrobial effect of ozone (O(3)) along with the high cooling capacity of dry ice, was investigated for its effect on bacterial reduction in air, in liquid, and on food and glass surfaces. Through proprietary means, O(3) was introduced to produce dry ice pellets to a concentration of 20 parts per million (ppm) by total weight. The ABI sublimation rate was similar to that of dry ice pellets under identical conditions, and ABI was able to hold the O(3) concentration throughout the normal shelf life of the product. Challenge studies were performed using different microorganisms, including E. coli, Campylobacter jejuni, Salmonella, and Listeria, that are critical to food safety. ABI showed significant (P < 0.05) microbial reduction during bioaerosol contamination (up to 5-log reduction of E. coli and Listeria), on chicken breast (approximately 1.3-log reduction of C. jejuni), on contact surfaces (approximately 3.9 log reduction of C. jejuni), and in liquid (2-log reduction of C. jejuni). Considering the stability of O(3), ease of use, and antimicrobial efficacy against foodborne pathogens, our results suggest that ABI is a better alternative, especially for meat and poultry processors, as compared to dry ice. Further, ABI can potentially serve as an additional processing hurdle to guard against pathogens during processing, transportation, distribution, and/or storage.
authors.affiliation: U.S. Dept. of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Eastern Regional Research Center, Wyndmoor, PA 19038, USA. pina.fratamico@ars.usda.gov
authors.forename: Pina M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Fratamico
authors.forename: Vijay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Juneja
authors.forename: Bassam A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Annous
authors.forename: Vasuhi
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rasanayagam
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sundar
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Braithwaite
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fisher
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000890:Anti-Infective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D016123:Campylobacter jejuni / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D002645:Chickens; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004367:Dry Ice; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005516:Food Microbiology; D018857:Food Packaging / Q000379:methods*; D063427:Food Quality; D036503:Inhalation Spacers / Q000382:microbiology; D008087:Listeria / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D008460:Meat / Q000382:microbiology*; D010126:Ozone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012475:Salmonella / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D000890:Anti-Infective Agents; D004367:Dry Ice; D010126:Ozone