Greenwood, Miss.- Ozone, the unstable form of oxygen created by lightning bolts during a thunderstorm, also has the capacity to be harnessed in making catfish processing plants cleaner and in doubling the shelf life of catfish.

These were among research findings made by Dr. Gladden Brooks, a Mississippi Cooperative Extension Service food scientist during the 20th annual Catfish Processing Workshop.

Brooks disclosed that studies involving industrial ozone were in June and July 1990 at the Delta Pride catfish processing plant in Indianola. Experimenters determined that ozone was 15 times as effective as chlorine in controlling weeks, compared to the normal five to seven day shelf life.

"Chlorine has proven to be ineffective in controlling bacterial growth, its use results in a poor shelf life of catfish and chlorine imposes a potentially harmful chemical on the consuming public" Brook said.

"Elimination of chlorine as the prime bactericide is now possible, along with other chemicals which may cause problems with treatment systems" He said. "Ozone offers the prospect of providing the consumer with a fish product that has added value and improved health benefits."

Brooks added "the amazing thing is that ozone produced no after-effects and the product was cost effective to use. Ozone produces no detrimental chemical-organic reactions.

Ozone has been used in the treatment of drinking water since 1856 and is widely employed in the commercial beverage industries.