**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PEANUTS AND TREE NUTS ARE HIGH-RISK FOODS CONCERNING SALMONELLA CONTAMINATION, DUE TO THE MAJOR OUTBREAKS ASSOCIATED WITH TREE NUTS AND COMMERCIALLY PRODUCED PEANUT BUTTER. IT IS WELL ESTABLISHED THAT SALMONELLA SP. EXHIBIT HIGHER HEAT RESISTANCE IN HIGH FAT, LOW WATER ACTIVITY ENVIRONMENTS. CLEANING COMMERCIAL OF PEANUT BUTTER AND OTHER NUT PASTE FACILITIES IS ESPECIALLY CHALLENGING, DUE TO THE HIGH-FAT CONTENT OF PEANUTS, THE IMMISCIBLE NATURE OF NUT BUTTER AND WATER, AND THE PRESENCE OF LIQUID IN THE PROCESSING ENVIRONMENT CAN PROMOTE GROWTH AND SURVIVAL OF MICROORGANISMS IN THE FOOD PROCESSING ENVIRONMENT. THIS PROPOSAL WILL DEVELOP AND VALIDATE INNOVATED TECHNOLOGIES FOR NON-AQUEOUS CLEANING AND SANITIZING. OIL-BASED ANTIMICROBIAL SOLUTIONS WILL BE DEVELOPED USING A VARIETY OF ORGANIC ACIDS AND WILL EVALUATE WATER-IN-OIL EMULSIONS TO DELIVER SANITIZING AGENTS. THE SUCCESSFUL FORMULATIONS WILL BE EVALUATED BASED UPON QUANTITATIVE VIABILITY ASSESSMENTS (PLATE COUNTS) AND QUALITATIVE ANALYSIS WITH MICROSCOPY TO EVALUATE ANTIMICROBIAL MECHANISM ON CELLULAR MEMBRANES, RESPIRATION, AND PROTEIN SYNTHESIS. AFTER SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT, WE WILL VALIDATE THE TREATMENTS UTILIZING A BENCHTOP SYSTEM TO MODEL CLEAN-IN-PLACE (CIP) FOR PEANUT BUTTER PROCESSING. THE LONG-TERM IMPACT OF THE PROPOSED RESEARCH IS THE HIGH POTENTIAL FOR TRANSLATION OF THE TECHNOLOGY TO THE FOOD INDUSTRY, WHICH HAS A HIGH NEED FOR NON-WATER, BASED CLEANING.