Fish and seafood processing plants have traditionally used large quantities of chlorine in aqueous solutions to preserve the product. The method involves submerging or directly spraying the fish or seafood with the solution.
Chlorine use in the preservation and processing of seafood is however an ineffective method of controlling bacterial growth, which results in poor shelf life of seafood. Bacteria is responsible for food spoilage, and without a proper way to control their growth, they can seriously limit the shelf life and consequently the shipping radius, storage in transit and export of the affected product.
Because of the limitations of chlorine, including the inadvertent exposure of the consuming public to the potentially harmful effects of this chemical, seafood processing plants are increasingly shifting away from chlorine use in favor of ozone.
Ozone, the second most powerful oxidant comprised of three oxygen atoms can be dissolved into water and used to wash seafood to reduce bacteria and extend shelf-life of fresh seafood.