To render micro-organisms of a partially completed container non- viable by coating a substance for radiating a radioactive ray and rendering the micro-organisms non-viable.

A form-fill-seal packaging machine has an indexing mandrel spider upon which the micro-organisms in the interior of a carbon sleeve, particularly upon the inside surface thereof, are rendered non-viable. Each of the arms of this spider has a device 2, and four angle-form, carton sleeve guides 4. The guides 4 are distributed parallelly around the device 2. Each device 2 has a UV-C-lamp. This lamp has an elongate support member in the form of a rod. The outer end of the rod may optionally have a mandrel cap. The mandrel cap contains conduits leading to a nozzle which is at the outer extremity of the device 2 and is co-axial with the rod. The nozzle emits a spray of hydrogen peroxide solution substantially perpendicularly to the axis of the rod throughout 360° around the axis.