Reedley, CA – Halting mold and decay is vital for San Joaquin Valley cold storage facilities. Ozone International’s cold storage application reduces blue and green mold, extends storage-life and enhances food safety.
“Our use of ozone was based on published research papers confirming its effectiveness,” said Joe Dawyot, general manager of Kool Kountry, a state of the art commercial cold storage facility located in Reedley, California.
Kool Kountry provides cold storage for peaches, plums, nectarines, kiwi and table grapes.
On average, peaches, plums and nectarines are usually held in cold storage for two weeks. Table grapes may be in storage for a month while kiwi averages six weeks in storage.
“Ozone definitely reduces mold spores in the air,” added Dawyot. “We’ve got hot weather and cold fruit, so it’s essential we do everything we can to protect the fruit.”
Ozone International’s system has measurement sensors and an on-board computer to maintain ozone concentrations. A remote monitoring service constantly tracks system performance and provides detailed reports and automated alerts.
In observational trials, Dawyot found that a diligent use of ozone at specified levels significantly reduced mold and decay on grapes. Sulfur dioxide is injected once a week in Kool Kountry’s five grape cold storage rooms that hold 350,000 boxes. Ozone produced by Ozone International units is used the rest of the week.
Dawyot found similar results with kiwi in both the reduction of mold and lower ethylene readings. Ethylene promotes the ripening process, which leads to spoilage in storage.
“Ozone International’s solution (ozone generating equipment, remote and local monitoring and service) has extended the storage life of our fruit while reducing losses by ten to fifteen percent,” said Dawyot, who has been with Kool Kountry for eight years. “That savings is important to our bottom line."
Kool Kountry services growers from throughout the San Joaquin Valley on a year round basis and uses ozone throughout the facility.
Source: Ozone International
