A method for steam-sterilizing semi-solid diets for germ-free mice research.

A semi-solid corn-meal diet sterilized in glass flasks in a hospital-type autoclave is described. The values of weight gain, feed efficiency, apparent digestibility, and cecal diameters were the same for germ-free mice fed either on this diet or on a soybean meal and alfalfa diet (L-485), widely used in germ-free research. The corn-meal diet has been successfully used for eight years.