Patent ID: 7964368
Filing Date: 2011-06-21
Classification: C12Q

Abstract:
1. A process for determining effectiveness of timed elevated temperature thermal processing of batch-processed containerized food production operations including in-line aseptic flow-processing for aseptic containerization production operations, for evaluating whether it is safe for non-refrigerated marketing, comprising (A) providing sealed test-ampoules for evaluating bacterial lethality effectiveness of elevated temperature thermal processing on food spoilage bacteria associated with batch-processed food production for determining whether safe for non-refrigerated marketing, the test-ampoules having confined therein a selected food spoilage spore-producing bacteria, in a liquid spore-culturing medium, wherein the test-ampoules are non-rigid polymeric test-ampoules constructed and arranged from a non-rigid polymeric sheet material which is capable of withstanding elevated temperature thermal processing as part of such batch food containerized production operations, while maintaining visual clarity during such thermal processing and subsequent evaluation of bacterial lethality effectiveness, (B) placing individual test-ampoules in a limited number of food containers for use in containerized food production operations, (C) carrying out timed elevated temperature thermal processing as part of containerized food production operations, and (D) detecting a microbial-biocidal status of the spore-producing bacteria sealed within the individual test-ampoules for assessing biocidal results achieved on such spore-producing bacteria associated with the foods subjected to the containerized food production operations, characterized in that step (D) is effected by detecting chemical change due to microbial action of surviving live bacteria, if any, in the test-ampoules by means of a pH indicator contained in the liquid spore-culturing medium.