Ventafresh

Ventafresh is a method to cold-sterilize and package food. Its goals are:

• To minimize the load of microorganisms on the produce
• To minimize chemical load on the produce
• To avoid using chlorine for the production process
• To increase shelf life of products
• To allow for new products, because no heat is required during production

Ventafresh combines several sterilization techniques, namely:

• Ozone gas dissolved solved in water. Ozone is an excellent disinfection and sterilization agent which is environmentally friendly, since it decomposes into oxygen which is a part of the environment air. Ozonized water essentially replaces the still common use of chlorine.
• Ultraviolet light which is itself a disinfection technique with the added value that it can destroy ozone (if the wavelength of the light is correctly chosen).
• Ultrasound which removes small particles of dirt and destroys the membranes of bacteria on the food surface.

In addition, the process includes a packaging technique where food is packaged into a container and covered by a special foil. This foil permits escape of certain gases which emerge during the food degeneration process and increase the speed of the process. Thus, the foil reduces decomposition of the food.

The various processing steps are well researched; there is no "rocket science" involved. Studies from the FDA and the Swiss ETHZ have shown that the Ventafresh process is in many cases preferable to conventional treatment since it's less stressful for the food and thus will result in a more appealing and longer-lasting product.

The Ventafresh process requires careful selection and fine-tuning of the various technical components.

Ventafresh is well suited for the following types of food:

• Vegetables and fruit
• Seafood and fish
• Meat
• Certain types of convenience food

However, the suitability of the Ventafresh method for a specific process must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

The Ventafresh method is patented.