title: Reduction of date microbial load with ozone.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Date is one of the foodstuffs that are produced in tropical areas and used worldwide. Conventionally, methyl bromide and phosphine are used for date disinfection. The toxic side effects of these usual disinfectants have led food scientists to consider safer agents such as ozone for disinfection, because food safety is a top priority. The present study was performed to investigate the possibility of replacing common conventional disinfectants with ozone for date disinfection and microbial load reduction.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this experimental study, date samples were ozonized for 3 and 5 hours with 5 and 10 g/h concentrations and packed. Ozonized samples were divided into two groups and kept in an incubator which was maintained at 25°C and 40°C for 9 months. During this period, every 3 month, microbial load (bacteria, mold, and yeast) were examined in ozonized and non-ozonized samples.
  
  
  RESULTS
  This study showed that ozonization with 5 g/h for 3 hours, 5 g/h for 5 hours, 10 g/h for 3 hours, and 10 g/h for 5 hours leads to about 25%, 25%, 53%, and 46% reduction in date mold and yeast load and about 6%, 9%, 76%, and 74.7% reduction in date bacterial load at baseline phase, respectively. Appropriate concentration and duration of ozonization for microbial load reduction were 10 g/h and 3 hours.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Date ozonization is an appropriate method for microbial load reduction and leads to an increase in the shelf life of dates.
authors.affiliation: Health Research Center, Baqiyatallah University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Davood
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Farajzadeh
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Qorbanpoor
authors.forename: Hasan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Rafati
authors.forename: Mohsen Saberi
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Isfeedvajani
keywords: Date; food safety; methyl bromide; microbial load; ozone