THE US FROZEN FOOD ECONOMY IS A $56 BILLION VALUE ADDED MARKET WITH FROZEN VEGETABLES AND POTATO PRODUCTS ACCOUNTING FOR APPROXIMATELY 14.3% MARKET SHARE. THESE PRODUCTS ARE BLANCHED USING HOT WATER OR STEAM, TO INACTIVATE ENZYMES, EXPEL GASES, SOFTEN TISSUES, REMOVE OFF-FLAVOR OR ENHANCE COLOR PRIOR TO FREEZING BUT BLANCHING WAS NOT INTENDED AS A MICROBIAL INACTIVATION STEP TO INACTIVATE E. COLI O157:H7, SALMONELLA SPP. AND LISTERIA MONOCYTOGENES NOR WAS IT A VALIDATED PROCESS. RECENT RECALLS, E.G. FROZEN GREEN BEANS AND MIXED VEGETABLES, HAVE HEIGHTENED THE SIGNIFICANCE OF FOODBORNE PATHOGENS IN THE INDUSTRY AFFECTING PRODUCT SOLD IN OVER 100 COUNTRIES INCLUDING USA.THE GOAL IS TO VALIDATE THE BLANCHING PROCESS AND PROVIDE VERIFICATION TOOLS FOR FOOD SAFETY MODERNIZATION ACT COMPLIANCE. THE PROJECT OBJECTIVES ARE TO DEVELOP APPROPRIATE SURROGATE(S) FOR USE IN PROCESSING PLANTS TO VALIDATE BLANCHING, DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY GUIDANCE FOR VALIDATING BLANCHING OF VEGETABLES AND THE USEOF END-POINT TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT AS A CORRELATION TOOL FOR MICROBIAL INACTIVATION AND FOR PROCESS VERIFICATION. THE PROJECT TASKS INCLUDE SCREENING OF POTENTIAL SURROGATE(S) AGAINST PATHOGENS; CONDUCTING SMALL AND SCALED UP BLANCHING PROCESS EXPERIMENT USING INDUSTRY EQUIPMENT; DEVELOPMENT OF END POINT TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT AS VERIFICATION AND, DEVELOPMENT OF INDUSTRY BEST PRACTICE GUIDANCE DOCUMENT.THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE PROJECT WILL PROVIDE SCIENTIFICALLY VALIDATED PROCESS PARAMETERS FOR BLANCHING AND FOR IMPROVED BLANCHER DESIGN TO ENHANCE SAFETY AND QUALITY OF FROZEN VEGETABLES BY MITIGATING THE RISK POSED BY E. COLI O157:H7, SALMONELLA SPP. AND L. MONOCYTOGENES AND SERVE AS A PREVENTIVE CONTROL TO SATISFY THE REQUIREMENTS OF FSMA.