The Business Of Keeping Food Healthy (NAPSA)—If you suffered from food poisoning this year, you had lots of company. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that 76 million Americans fall ill to some 250 diseases caused by food-borneillness every year. Historically overlooked as a source of foodborne illness are fruits and vegetables. For instance, disease outbreaks, includ- ing a hepatitis A outbreak in strawberries provided in school lunches, precipitated moredetailed government inspection of imported fruits in the late 1990s. Outbreaks like these create renewed public interest in food sanitation, an interest that is not lost on investors who are looking for companies that have developed effective methods of killing pathogens in fruits and vegetables. One such company, e-Food Safety.com, Inc., has introduced a Food Safe Program that uses ozoneor electronic pasteurization. This chemical-free solution reduces or virtually eliminates pathogens at the packinghouse or distribution center. Additionally, because pathogens are continuously eliminated for up to 30 days, shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables is also extended, reducing spoilage and waste both at the retail and consumerlevel. Studies have shown that ozone leaves no residue in the water or on the product. It actually breaks down and returns as oxygen. The result is no color or flavor change. The market for this pathogenkilling technology is huge. The According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, food poisoning is caused by ingesting food contaminated with bacteria or other pathogens. USDAsuggests that the annual value of all food consumption in the U.S. totals $760 billion. Of this total consumption, 18 percent, or $137 billion, is spent on fruits and vegetables. A recent article in “The Investor’s Business Daily” reports that food monitoring has the potential to be the next big technology. e-FoodSafety.com (OTC symbol: EFSF.OB) is the only company with a patented process that can boast an entire system dedicated to protecting, certifying and delivering safe food products that exceed current FDA requirements. The company is expected to turn profitable for its fiscal year ending April 2005 and expects strong sales and earnings growth. To learn more about the company, visit www.e-FoodSafety.com.
