Kita semua telah melakukannya - membuang buah atau sayuran karena mereka busuk. Kontaminasi jamur adalah penyebab paling umum pembusukan hasil panen segar, dengan perkiraan 30 persen buah dan sayuran yang dipanen menjadi korbannya. Penanggulangan saat ini termasuk fungisida sintetis dan perawatan sanitasi pra-paket yang melibatkan penggunaan klorin atau bromin. Sekarang sebuah tim ilmuwan dari Universitas Newcastle Inggris telah menemukan bahwa hasil yang lebih efektif dan ramah manusia dapat diperoleh dengan merawat produk dengan ozon.
Led by microbiologist Dr. Ian Singleton and plant biologist Prof. Jerry Barnes, the Newcastle researchers experimented with storing fresh fruit such as strawberries, tomatoes, grapes and plums in an environment that contained low levels of gaseous ozone. Not only was the production of fungal spores substantially reduced, but lesions on already-infected fruit became less visible. After eight days in the environment, the produce showed almost 95 percent less spoilage than would otherwise have occurred – depending on the specific fruit and pre-existing levels of infection.
It was also found that tomatoes exposed to ozone became more fungus-resistant, even once they were removed from the ozone gas. Exposed tomatoes were 60 percent less likely to develop fungal lesions, potentially boosting their shelf life by two to five days. While the scientists can't explain exactly what forces are at work behind the reaction, they suggest that some sort of memory- or vaccination-like effect is likely taking place. They are now looking into the specific amounts of ozone and lengths of exposure that work best for individual types of fruit and vegetables, as too much ozone can also cause spoilage.
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