Failure of employees to practice proper hygiene may also introduce pathogens to the cider-making process. Golden and his team are studying a number of alternative methods for sanitary processing other than pasteurization. UV radiation would be a more affordable preservation method and would not affect the sensory characteristics of the cider. So, chunks of apple and bits of peel in apple cider present a problem. Golden is also looking at using a treatment method involving ozone.
Ozone is a naturally occurring gas that is created by the breakdown of oxygen molecules.
Ozone can be created by electrical discharge, such as during a lightening storm, and by UV light. Ozone is extremely unstable, and the molecule is rapidly converted back to oxygen. Ozone treatments used on fresh lettuce and on chicken have reduced the presence of microorganisms well below the FDA's recommended levels. And the technique shows promise for being a viable processing alternative for fruit juices. It is his research with ozone that has yielded Golden his most impressive results.