An industry seminar dedicated to studying the controlled use of Ozone is set to take place next week.

Hosted by crop storage experts Biofresh the event will look at whether Ozone can significantly reduce post-harvest spoilage and cleanse storage atmospheres while leaving no detectable residues.

Biofresh believes ozone could revolutionise the way we store fresh produce. This event will be of interest to anyone involved in the fresh produce industry. It is an opportunity to catch up on one of the very latest developments in the industry and discuss the benefits ozone applications can bring to your business.

Professor Jerry Barnes of Newcastle University, one of the speakers at the event, is a plant physiologist who has researched the impact of ozone on vegetation for around 25 years.

Barnes co-founded Biofresh in 2003 with Dr Ian Singleton to manufacture control systems based on their findings that low-level ozone-enrichment suppresses microbial spoilage of cold-stored fruit and vegetables.

Singelton has carried out extensive consultancy work on microbiological spoilage on food and other materials. He was a member of European Union panel constituted to develop a method to test efficacy of fungicides and is currently carrying-out industrially funded research projects on novel methods for controlling microbial spoilage of fresh produce.

Mercedes Pedreno of Japan Concept, a specialist in research of the post harvest use of ozone who has worked for the past 3 years she has introduing ozone technology into companies across Europe, Morocco and Egypt will also provide further research results.

The seminar will also look at the findings of the Dr. Rip G. Rice who co-founded the International Ozone Association, serving as its elected President and as editor-in-chief of Ozone: Science & Technology Journal.

Rip's presentation provides an overview of the many ways in which ozone has been adopted commercially in the agri-food sector. He highlights advantages associated with the deployment of ozone over traditional practices and discusses new opportunities for the application of this gas under development and being tested in the US and Europe.

The event also includes a tour of East Malling Research Centre with Ian Hardy taking in the Storage Centre, Glasshouse, Nursery and Water Centre to gain an insight into new developments and technologies currently under testing.

It will take place at the East Malling Conference Centre on January 14.

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