Ozone can be applied directly on many food types to improve safety and extend shelf life. Foods are treated with ozone in gaseous form, as well as in aqueous sprays and dips. Sanitation of fresh produce is one of the most promising applications of ozone. Ozone is relatively gentle on produce. High levels of ozone can be used before altering the taste or appearance of produce. Another advantage of ozone is that it lowers counts of spoilage microorganisms in wash water in addition to on the produce surface, thus extending the shelf life of the produce while keeping the wash water clean and enabling less water usage. Ozone is also used in seafood processing where it has been used for many years and found to not only improve the safety of the seafood, but also to increase its shelf life.