Dorothy H. Strong

Effect of Suspending Medium on Heat Resistance of Spores of Clostridium perfringens

THE degree of heat resistance of spores of the various strains of Clostridium perfringens is a matter of both theoretical and practical importance, particularly because the organism is a potential food poisoning species. Studies carried out in various laboratories, by, among others, Hall et al.1, have indicated that spores of selected strains, when produced in Ellners medium2, are less heat resistant than those produced in SEC broth. Hall et al. stated, “It seems probable that the atypical spores noted so frequently in this medium did not possess the heat resistant characteristic of those produced in foods by the parent strain”.