Samples of uniform (almost cylindrical) shape and size (about
7.0
103m in diameter, 1.2
101m in length) were pre-washed
in 500 ppm chlorinated water for 12 min (5
102 kg of beans in
0.5 L of chlorinated water), to reduce the natural microbiota, and
then washed for 5 min in sterile water (5
102 kg of beans in 0.5 L
of sterile water), to remove any residual chlorine. Samples were
then dried on sterile aluminum foils in a biological safety cabinet
for 1 h.