This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is concerned with the design and development of a new, direct method for determination of ozone C.t values in disinfection processes. According to a recent report to Congressional committees, many public health experts believe that the risk for food-borne illness is increasing. While ozone has excellent potential as an environmentally friendly yet highly powerful disinfecting agent, there are problems associated with ozone measurement, and therefore the sufficient disinfection of foods. During Phase I, a fundamentally new litmus paper-type method for determination of ozone C.t values, was developed through the impregnation of FDA approved dyes on common filter paper. Phase I testing of the developed Disinfection Verification Strips demonstrated the viability, repeatability, and robustness of this method for ascertaining the difficult-to-measure C.t value in ozone disinfection processes. During the Phase II studies, a series of technical and scientific questions will be addressed, leading to targeted color and C.t ranges for use in specific food applications. Further, testing of Disinfection Verification Strips in actual food disinfection processes, through collaboration with industrial partners, will lead toward establishment of a diverse selection of standardized quality monitoring strips. This Phase II Proposal describes a collaborative effort, between Lynntech, Inc., and multiple industrial partners, to develop this Disinfection Verification Strip to a point where it is suitable for use by diverse food processors.
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