MICROBIAL ISSUES OF FOOD SAFETY ARE AMONG THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CONSTRAINTS FOR RAW OR MINIMALLY PROCESSED PRODUCTS. THESE ISSUES RESULT DUE TO PRESENCE OF CONTAMINATING HUMAN PATHOGENS IN FRESH PRODUCE AND MEAT PRODUCTS AS WELL AS EMERGING CONCERNS WITH ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANT BACTERIA IN FOOD PRODUCTS AND FOOD PROCESSING FACILITIES. TO OVERALL GOAL IS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF TRANSMISSION OF BOTH PATHOGENIC AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANT BACTERIA THROUGH MINIMALLY PROCESSED FOOD AND TO MITIGATE PERSISTENCE OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANT BACTERIA IN FOOD PROCESSING FACILITIES. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL, THE PROPOSED RESEARCH PLAN AIMS TO DEVELOP INNOVATIVE PARTICLE BASED SANITIZERS THAT CAN ACHIEVE REDUCTION OF 4-5 LOG CFU/G ON SURFACE OF MINIMALLY PROCESSED FOODS AND FOOD CONTACT SURFACES. THE CENTRAL HYPOTHESIS OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS THAT PARTICLE BASED SANITIZERS PROVIDE A COMBINATION OF MECHANICAL SHEAR, LOCALIZED HIGH CONCENTRATION OF SANITIZERS AND HIGH AFFINITY OF PARTICLES TO BIND DIVERSE BACTERIA ON FOOD PRODUCTS AND FOOD CONTACT SURFACES. TO ACHIEVE THESE UNMET NEEDS, THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL DEVELOP BOTH ENGINEERED AND BIO-BASED PARTICLE SANITIZERS AND DEMONSTRATE THEIR EFFECTIVENESS TO ACHIEVE 4-5 LOG CFU/G REDUCTION IN PATHOGENIC AND ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANT MICROBES ON FOOD SURFACES AND BIOFILMS ON FOOD CONTACT SURFACES. SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT WILL SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE THE RISK OF FOOD BORNE OUTBREAKS, AND ADDRESS THE UNMET NEED OF REDUCING PERSISTENCE AND TRANSMISSION OF ANTIMICROBIAL RESISTANCE MICROBES IN OUR FOOD SUPPLY CHAIN. THIS IMPACT WILL BE REALIZED BASED ON DEVELOPMENT AND COMMERCIALIZATION OF THESE INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGIES.