Apparatus and method of food decontamination by treatment with ozone

A method for treating an agricultural product with ozone comprising the steps of:

• passing a stream of an ozone-containing gas through a humidifier;
• introducing the humidified ozone-containing gas stream into a chamber containing the agricultural product;
• monitoring the humidity of the ozone-containing gas within at least one portion of the chamber containing the agricultural product;
• and
• adjusting the humidity of the ozone-containing gas stream before the gas stream enters the chamber to maintain the chamber humidity within a desired range.

A method for treating an agricultural product with ozone comprising the steps of:

• passing a stream of an ozone-containing gas through a humidifier;
• introducing the humidified ozone-containing gas into a chamber containing the agricultural product;
• monitoring the ozone-containing gas pressure within at least one portion of the chamber containing the agricultural product;
• and
• controlling the flow of ozone-containing gas into the chamber to maintain the ozone-containing gas pressure below a high pressure setpoint.

A method for treating an agricultural product with ozone comprising the steps of:

• passing a stream of an ozone-containing gas through a humidifier;
• introducing the humidified ozone-containing gas and an inert stabilizing gas into a chamber containing the agricultural product;
• monitoring the concentration of ozone in the chamber;
• monitoring the pressure within at least one portion of the chamber containing the agricultural product;
• controlling the flow rate of the ozone-containing gas into the chamber to provide ozone concentrations within a desired range;
• and
• controlling the flow rate of the inert stabilizing gas to maintain the chamber pressure within a desired range.

A method for treating an agricultural product with ozone comprising the steps of:

• passing a stream of an ozone-containing gas through a humidifier;
• directing the ozone-containing gas stream into a first region of a chamber containing the agricultural product;
• monitoring the temperature in the first region of the chamber;
• and
• redirecting the stream of ozone-containing gas from the first region of the chamber to a second region of the chamber when the temperature in the first region of the chamber is greater than or equal to a setpoint temperature.