Ozone as a Sanitizing Agent - Applications and Limitations

There have been many questions on the use of ozone in food operations, specifically fruit.  An article in Growing Produce provides a good synopsis of the advantages and limitations of ozone as a sanitize.   In summary, ozone is not a magic bullet and does not provide tremendous results in fresh produce packing.  In the author's opinion, "the most straightforward and beneficial use of ozone in fruit handling and packing is as a terminal rinse step and as the post-ultrafiltration treatment of re-circulated water in postharvest wash and fluming systems".   "Another commonly beneficial application is cold storage or forced-air treatment with gaseous ozone or room fogging."  

One issue is that some product are more susceptible to the ozone that results in damage compared to the microbes.  Ozone is a strong oxidizer, but gets utilized quickly.    Notice that in the two suggested applications, water and air treatment, are essentially applications that do not come in direct contact with the food.

Growing Produce
http://www.growingproduce.com/fruits/food-safety-ozone/
Food Safety: Once More Into the Ozone
By Trevor Suslow|February 3, 2018