Why is Electrolyzed Water Important to the Food Industry?

Why is Electrolyzed Water Important to the Food Industry?

Electrolyzed water definitely has a lot of potential uses for the food industry.  Possibilities for the use of electrolyzed water are growing but one basic and proven application is using it as a disinfectant on food contact surfaces.  This is advantageous to industry because it involves on-site production of the disinfectant, which means there are no chemicals to store or handling costs of chemicals to deal with (SEI 2001).  Another proven effective use is its application directly on fresh food products to reduce the number of microorganisms or pathogens present.  It may even have the prospect of replacing the use of pesticides (SEI 2001).

It also has possibilities in the area of specialized food products.  There is potential use of electrolyzed water on food products that can be of benefit to people with diseases such as gout.  It could be used to decrease the amount of purine in foods such as red meats and scallops, so people who suffer from gout are better able to consume the product and not suffer from the effects of that disease (Hung 2005). 

This graphic illustrates all the different forms of electrolyzed water and gives a better idea of how it is broken down for its potential uses.