High-pressure inactivation of Bacillus cereus spores in the presence of argon

We investigated the high-pressure inactivation of Bacillus cereus spores in water containing argon. At the pressure of 600 MPa, addition of argon accelerated the inactivation of spores at 20 °C, but had no effect on the inactivation at 40 °C. The influence of added argon on inactivation of the spores was marked under conditions with a strong ‘water ordering’ effect. The pressure resistance of B. cereus spores was thus shown to be affected by ‘water ordering’.