Ozone Petition

OzonePetition

SproutNet

International Specialty Supply

September21, 2000

The FDA announced that the Electric Power Research Institute, Agricultureand Food Technology Alliance has filed a petition proposing that the foodadditive regulations be amended to provide for the safe use of ozone in gaseousand aqueous phases as an antimicrobial agent for the treatment, storage, andprocessing of foods.  This would be quite a boon to the sprouting industry. In several in-house tests we found that ozone substantially reduced that TotalAerobic Plate Count.  We did not do any pathogen testing, but I have astrong hunch it is effective in reducing pathogens in all phases of sproutproduction:  seed soaking, growing, and washing.