Heteropolysaccharide fermentation process

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A HETEROPOLYSACCHARIDE BY THE FERMENTATION OF A CARBOHYDRATE WITH BACTERIA OF THE GENUS XANTHOMONAS WHICH COMPRISES: (A) CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING A STERILE, NITROGEN-CONTAINING BACTERIAL MEDIUM INTO A FIRST FERMENTATION VESSEL CONTAINING VIABLE BACTERIA OF THE GENUS XANTHOMONAS WHILE CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE, PH, OXYGEN LEVEL AND RESIDENCE TIME IN SAID FIRST VESSEL TO PROMOTE THE GROWTH OF BACTERIAL CELLS, THE CARBOHYDRATE CONTENT OF SAID MEDIUM BEING INSUFFICIENT TO PERMIT THE FORMATION OF HETEROPOLYSACCHARIDE IN SAID FIRST VESSEL IN SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES; (B) CONTINUOUSLY TRANSFERRING MEDIUM CONTAINING VIABLE BACTERIA OF THE GENUS XANTHOMONAS FROM SAID FIRST VESSEL TO A SECOND FERMENTATION VESSEL WHILE CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE, PH, OXYGEN LEVEL AND RESIDENCE TIME IN SAID SECOND VESSEL TO PROMOTE THE FORMATION OF HETEROPOLYSACCHARIDE; (C) CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING CARBOHYDRATE INTO SAID SECOND VESSEL FROM AN EXTERNAL SOURCE IN QUANTITIES SUFFICIENT TO PERMIT THE FORMATION OF HETEROPOLYSACCHARIDE IN SAID SECOND VESSEL IN SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES; AND (D) CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING FERMENTATE CONTAINING HETEROPOLYSACCHARIDE IN SUBSTANTIAL QUANTITIES FROM SAID SECOND VESSEL.