Procedures and means for evaluating effectiveness of bacterial-lethality,
following batch-processed containerized food production operations and
aseptic-flow food-production operations as containerized in
aseptic-containers, in preparing for non-refrigerated marketing are
described. The evaluations significantly expedite determining whether
thermally-processed containerized food-production is safe for
non-refrigerated marketing. The presence or absence of live spore-forming
bacteria is determined chemically free of extended storage requirements
relying on a mechanical-failure indication of food-spoilage. Also, a
biological-indication verification of microbial-biocidal status of the
packaged food is made available. The invention determines whether
rigid-sheet metal containers, and/or whether any of the new, and newly
developing, non-refrigerated food packages, which largely utilize
polymeric materials, for convenient microwave-oven heating of
opened-packs, and soft polymeric pouch products, are safe for
non-refrigerated marketing; and, such determinations are made
substantially more concurrently with production-operations, than
previously available.