Page 40 - FoodFocusThailand No.247 November_December 2026

SMART
SMART PRODUCTION PRODUCTION

SMART OZONE FOR SMART SEAFOOD:

CLEAN TECHNOLOGY TO ENHANCE
SEAFOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY

Freshness and safety are critical dimensions of seafood quality, holding great significance for
government agencies, entrepreneurs, and consumers. Seafood is rich in nutrients, has high moisture
content, and possesses a delicate tissue structure that is prone to physical and chemical deterioration
as well as microbial growth. Without appropriate management systems, these factors can directly
compromise consumer safety, undermine market confidence, and diminish the economic value of
products.

Traditionally, seafood preservation has relied on quality and safety throughout the production chain. Typical
refrigeration combined with disinfectants such as chlorine applications include preparing washing water for raw
to delay spoilage and reduce pathogenic microorganisms. material; producing ozonated slurry ice for temperature
However, this approach has several limitations, including control and raw material preservation; improving of process
chemical residues and potential effects on product color, water quality; and sanitizing food-contact surfaces and
odor, and flavor. These issues may also affect product image equipment on production lines. For industrial applications,
and consumer acceptance. This article explores ozone ozone is commonly generated using the corona discharge
technology as an innovative approach to enhancing seafood method, in which air or pure oxygen is exposed to a high-
freshness and safety. voltage electric field, causing oxygen molecules to dissociate
into individual oxygen atoms (Equation 1).
Ozone and its Principles
Ozone (O ) is a gaseous triatomic oxygen molecule with O + energy 2O (1)
3
2
strong oxidizing properties. When applied under appropriate
conditions, it can effectively inactivate microorganisms. The high-energy free oxygen atoms collide with other
Furthermore, ozone decomposes into molecular oxygen oxygen molecules and combine to form ozone molecules
(O ), leaving no persistent chemical residues in the treated (Equation 2). A schematic illustration of ozone generation
2
product. is shown in Figure 1.
In the seafood industry, ozone can be applied as either
ozonated water or gaseous ozone to maintain product O + O O (2)
2 3
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