Evaluation of a system for chemical sterilization of packages

Abstract

A system was evaluated for the chemical sterilization of packages, based on its sporicidal efficiency using inoculated Bacillus subtilis inside polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles. Different combinations of contact time, temperature and peracetic acid concentrations were tested, delineated according to a factorial planning of 23. The results, expressed as decimal reduction counts, proved that peracetic acid showed good sporicidal efficiency at 1.2% concentration in the temperature range 30-50°C. With this performance, the tested system can be used to sterilize plastic bottles and other similar packages, achieving a count reduction of spores by up to 10-7. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.