The effect of a rich medium on C. perfringens spore germination at 55 C with 50 mM AK and subsequent inactivation of the germinated spores at 55 C was examined in BHI broth with spores of strain NCTC8239, a high heat-resistant isolate (D100 w 120 min) (Sarker et al., 2000). Less than a 0.5 decimal reduction (DR) was observed when NCTC8239 spores were incubated up to 60 min with BHI broth alone.