Schachter's...TIP OF THE MONTH   OZONE FOR POTATO STORAGE AND TREATMENT   Food safety has become of increasing importance in recent years with incidents of food borne illness and crop losses triggering the government, consumer groups, and the food industry to improve their efforts.  Food processors and regulators have upgraded regulations and standards and have expanded research, monitoring, detection and educational programs.  These efforts, along with increasing environmental concerns and heightened awareness of foodborne illnesses, have led to the need for a more effective, environmentally friendly method to ensure food safety.   For example, many “diseases” have been identified in the bulk storage of potatoes, such as silver scurf, “pink rot,” and late blight, reducing both the quality and quantity of crop production.  Historically, a combination of controlled storage conditions and expensive fungicides has been used in an attempt to preserve the stored produce.  However, this method has demonstrated only minimal control of post-harvest diseases, often leading to substantial losses in stored potato crop.   Ozone is becoming a popular alternative method to control or eliminate pathogens in the cold storage of potatoes.  Ozone is an oxidizing agent that exerts significant reactivity (1.5 times more powerful than chlorine) on a wide range of microorganisms, including fungi, bacteria, and viruses, while chlorine has a limited effect on killing bacteria on fruit and vegetable surfaces.  Ozone cannot only destroy pathogens in the air and on the surface of produce but can also deodorize.  Ozone does not leave any chemical residuals, unlike chemical agents, such as chlorine.   During potato storage, ozone gas can be delivered using a ventilation or distribution system to maintain a low ozone concentration in the storage area.  Ozone is applied in a dry gas phase, at low concentrations for potato storage, so no free water is applied to the potatoes, preventing storage rot.  When properly applied, ozone inhibits the spread of the infectious “pink rot” fungus, Phytophthora Erythroseptica, which can spread rapidly to uninfected potatoes.  Studies have also shown that the shelf life of potatoes and other produce can be extended considerably with the implementation of ozone treatment, without affecting the crop quality.