History of ozone (PDF)
Ozone has been used successfully as a disinfectant in industrial and water treatment applications for over 90 years. In 2001, approvals from the FDA and the Organic organizations now make the application of ozone treatments practical for the food processing industries. Ozone (O3) is a three atom allotrope of oxygen. It is 152 percent stronger than chlorine and is the second strongest oxidizing agent next to fluorine. Many applications can benefit from the use of ozone because of its superior disinfection and oxidizing qualities. Due to ozone’s very short half life ozone must be generated on site and any unused ozone from the process reverts back to oxygen in a short period of time. Ozone’s unique properties make it the disinfectant of choice for the future.