BOC Helps Bar-S Foods Improve Food Safety with Ozone and UV Light Technologies.

Business Editors

MURRAY HILL, N.J.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 21, 2003

Bar-S Foods Co., a nationally-branded hot dog and lunch meat processor, has installed BOC's ozonated wash system and ultra-violet (UV) light pathogen intervention technologies in its three food processing plants to help fight the battle against the food-borne pathogens such as listeria monocytogenes (listeria).

The Phoenix-based Bar-S Foods Co. has instituted one of the most aggressive food safety initiatives of any company in the ready-to-eat industry. Multiple pathogen intervention steps are applied during processing, the mainstay of which is ozone gas (O3) dissolved in water.

"Bar-S Foods Company is committed to the development and implementation of the best technologies and procedures to deliver the safest products to customers. This is accomplished through a multiple hurdle and intervention approach, of which ozone is an integral part," says Bob Reinhard, director of food safety and regulatory compliance for Bar-S Foods Co.

"We selected BOC because they have the experience, technology and product portfolio to meet our needs," said Danny Dupree, division vice president, plant operations, Bar-S Foods Co. "BOC is a leader in providing pathogen intervention strategies to the food processing industry. They understand our needs, know where we want to go and have the expertise and engineered solutions to help us get there."

Mark DiMaggio, business manager, food safety products, BOC, said, "Our long history with pathogen reduction applications in food processing plants allowed us to help Bar-S Foods Co. engineer their pathogen reduction strategy. They integrated ozone and UV technology into their plants' total environment to treat food, food contact surfaces, and processing fluids."

Listeria proliferates in the cool moist environments found in ready-to-eat meat plants. It is most often found around drain areas and evaporator coils and can precipitate from the air or be transferred to food contact surfaces and food products themselves by employees or plant equipment.

To combat this threat, Bar-S Foods Co. installed BOC's anti-microbial ozone wash systems in its Clinton, Lawton and Altus, Oklahoma processing plants. The wash systems introduce ozonated water on food-contact surfaces and on food itself to kill pathogens. Ozone is one of the world's most powerful oxidants, and has been proven to be safe and effective in controlling E. coli, listeria and other pathogens in food processing environments.

Food processors look to BOC for the engineered solutions they need to achieve total process control in their plants. BOC uses the best available services and technologies to help customers address all of their atmosphere, microbe and temperature control needs. Customers benefit from BOC's experience and expertise in providing a range of custom offerings, such as ozone and UV light technologies, cryogenic gases, modified atmosphere packaging, and water management services so they can deliver the highest quality food to their customers.

Bar-S Foods Co. is the manufacturer of over 100 processed meat items including bacon, lunchmeat, smoked sausage, and America's number one selling 12 oz. and 1 lb. hot dog. Bar-S is committed to producing delicious, high quality products, which has made them a recognized leader in the processed meat industry.

The Boc Group (NYSE:BOX), the worldwide industrial gases, vacuum technologies and distribution services company, serves two million customers in more than 50 countries. It employs 46,000 people and had annual sales of some $6 billion in 2002. Further information about The BOC Group may be obtained on the Internet at http://www.boc.com.