A hydratable gel-forming polymer may be sterilized by chilling the polymerbelow ambient temperature and steril-izingthe chilled polymer using ionizing radiation (e.g., E-Beam radiation). Doingso may reduce the degradation in physical prop-ertiescaused by ionizing radiation sterilization of the polymer while at ambienttemperature, and may preserve or retain desiredhydration or gel-forming characteristics. The polymer might be a chitosanand/or further polysaccharides.
