Potential of ozone utilization for reduction of pesticide residue in food of plant origin. A review.

Residues of plant protection products can be nowadays found in almost all samples of fruits as even if their application was carried out with respect to standards of Good Agricultural Practice. The intake of these compounds with food of plant origin may result in various disorders and diseases. Since the use of plant protection agents seems unavoidable, it is necessary to treat contaminated food material to eliminate or reduce residues content within food products. Ozone is utilized for elimination of biological and chemical contaminants in various environmental matrixes. Since its utilization in food industry has been permitted many experiments were conducted in order to determine its efficiency and side effects on food quality. The goal of this paper is to contribute to a discussion on the ozonization as a process leading to reduction of pesticide residues on plant surface.