Ozonated Ice for Fish Storage
Ozone gas can be dissolved into water with an ozone injection system, then fed into an ice making machine that will then freeze that ozone dissolved into the water to produce ozonated ice. This process will essentially store the ozone within the ice, creating what is commonly refereed to as ozonated ice.used in the storage of fish to prolong shelf-life and maintain a fresher, better looking product to the end user. Ozone use to produce ozonated ice is not a new concept. In 1936, research in the commercial fish industry was conducted in France that showed a 33% extension in shelf-life of fresh fish stored on ozonated ice when compared with ice produced from regular water in the holds of fishing vessels (Salmon, J).
Ozone can also be dissolved into water and used to wash seafood and fish fillet's to reduce bacteria and extend shelf-life in fresh fish. Historically, fresh fish has commanded a premium in price over frozen fish products. The appearance of this fish will affect the market price of fresh fish. Ozone use in ice for storage in fishing vessels has been used to maintain the highest quality fish and garner the highest possible price for fresh fish products. While fishing vessels are at sea it is imperative that the fish and seafood harvested early in the voyage are as fresh and comparable in quality as the fish caught near the end of the voyage. As these vessels can at times stay out to sea for weeks at a time, ozonated ice was seen as a great solution to the storage issues experienced in this unique industry. The use of ozonated ice in fish storage has expanded beyond the fishing vessel to fish farming and processing throughout the industry. Today, many fish processors and fish farms will use ozonated ice for all their seafood storage needs. Ozonated ice offers a convenient method of prolonging the shelf-life of seafood products.