GELKÖRPER UND VERFAHREN FÜR BIOLOGISCHE STERILISIERUNGSSTEUERUNG.

摘要

PCT No. PCT/SE89/00065 Sec. 371 Date Aug. 17, 1990 Sec. 102(e) Date Aug. 17, 1990 PCT Filed Feb. 15, 1989 PCT Pub. No. WO89/07458 PCT Pub. Date Aug. 24, 1989.The invention relates to a gel body of a delimited physical form preferably containing water and characterized in that it a) contains an encapsulated apathogenic micro-organism having a known and reproducible resistance; b) has a porous structure with the size of the pores defined, said structure preventing the encapsulated micro-organism from diffusing out but allows a nutrient solution adjusted to the micro-organism to diffuse in and metabolites produced to diffuse; c) is thermally stable in various sterilization, pasteurization or cooking processes; d) is mechanically stable when transported through the process equipment for sterilization, pasteurization or cooking; e) is surface sterile; and f) is transparent in order to allow observation of possible growth of the micro-organism when incubated in a nutrient solution. Also, the invention relates to a method for carrying out biological control of a sterilization, pasteurization, or cooking process, the method being characterized in that one or more gel bodies according to claim 1 are added to the product to be sterilized, that the product containing gel bodies is subjected to sterilization, pasteurization, cooking or other heat treatment, that the gel body or bodies are separated from the sterilized product after the sterilization has been completed, that the gel body or gel bodies are incubated in a nutrient solution, and that possible growth of micro-organisms is indicated.