Post process product control of rendering plant sterilization conditions by ELISA

Experiments were conducted in a laboratory autoclave and in a commercial re ndering plant to set a limit for the R-value of an enzyme-linked immunosorb ent assay (ELISA) to prove that animal meal had been sufficiently heat-trea ted. The immunoassay method is currently the only technique used to check f or appropriate sterilization of animal meal. The results of these experimen ts were statistically assessed using operation characteristic curves and co nfirmed that insufficiently heat-treated animal meal has an R-value > 2. Re sults of the trials also demonstrated that the main parameters of steriliza tion, temperature, and duration strongy influence the R-value, thus indicat ing that deviation from the target sterilization conditions is verifiable b y the ELISA method.