"Octa-Gone provides an extra layer of food safety protection for
our customers," says John Tengwall, vice president of Food & Beverage at Ecolab. Octa-Gone utilizes a unique application point that applies the product at the last possible moment in the packaging process,
virtually eliminating the possibility of post-treatment
recontamination.
"The value of this product to our industry cannot be stressed
enough," says Tengwall. "Octa-Gone is cost-effective and simple to
apply. It's effective against microbial pathogens without affecting
the color, flavor or appearance of the RTE meat product, and it's
approved as a processing aid by the USDA, therefore no additive
labeling is required for processors. It's a revolutionary product that
is going to change the way RTE manufacturers run their packaging
lines."
All raw meats are susceptible to bacteria and pathogens, which is
why they are cooked before consumption. Ready-to-eat products, like
deli and luncheon meats, are prepared at a processing plant and
undergo a cooking step that kills any pathogens present. However,
through the handling or transporting of the product to the final
packaging area, the ready-to-eat meats are susceptible to
recontamination. The key to Octa-Gone, according to Tengwall, is the
timing of when it's applied. Octa-Gone is applied directly into
packaging bags immediately before ready-to-eat meats are placed inside
and sealed. The packaged and sealed product is then sent through a hot
water shrink tunnel, tightening the package and spreading the
Octa-Gone treatment over the entire surface of the RTE product.
Octa-Gone was also designed for ease of implementation. "When
adopting the new Octa-Gone product into their plants, Ecolab customers
gain access to the 24-hour, 7-day-a-week technical support and service
that the company is known for in the food and beverage processing
industry," explains Tengwall. "We are excited to bring this innovation
to consumers by assisting our customers through the entire process of
implementation to application."
Octa-Gone is not for use to sanitize hard food contact surfaces
such as tanks, lines, food processing equipment, or to treat microbial
contamination in processing water, or on food packaging.
With 2005 sales of $4.5 billion, Ecolab is the leading global
developer and marketer of premium cleaning, sanitizing, pest
elimination, maintenance and repair products and services for the
hospitality, foodservice, healthcare and industrial markets.
Ecolab shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the
symbol ECL. Ecolab news releases and other investor information are
available on the Internet at http://www.ecolab.com.
CONTACT: Ecolab Inc., St. Paul
Keith Johnson, 651-293-2164