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Abstract
A plot of the thermal resistance of Bacillus subtilis var. niger spores (log D value) against temperature was linear between 37 and 190 °C (z = 23 °C), provided that the relative humidity of the spore environment was kept below a certain critical level. The corresponding plot for Bacillus stearothermophilus spores was linear in the range 150 to 180 °C (z = 29 °C) but departed from linearity at lower temperatures (decreasing z value). However, the z value of 29 °C was decreased to 23 °C if spores were dried before heat treatment. The straight line corresponding to this new z value was consistent with the inactivation rate at a lower temperature (60 °C). The data indicate that bacterial spores which are treated in dry heat at an environmental relative humidity near zero are inactivated mainly by a drying process. By extrapolation of the thermal resistance plot obtained under these conditions for B. subtilis var. niger spores, the D value at 0 °C would be about 4 years.
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