RECENT OUTBREAKS OF FOODBORNE DISEASE ASSOCIATED WITH LOW WATER ACTIVITY (DRY) PRODUCTS HAVE INCLUDED CEREAL, FLOUR, PEANUT BUTTER, CHOCOLATE, PET FOOD, INFANT FORMULA, AND SPICES. THESE INCIDENTS HAVE RESULTED IN SIGNIFICANT MORBIDITY AND MORTALITY, AS WELL AS ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES FOR THE FOOD INDUSTRY. OUTBREAKS DUE TO MICROBIAL PATHOGEN CONTAMINATION, UNDECLARED ALLERGENS, AND INCIDENTS OF COMMERCIAL SPOILAGE INCREASE FOOD WASTE, DECREASE CONSUMER SATISFACTION, AND THREATEN PUBLIC HEALTH. HOWEVER, BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTY IN ELIMINATING THESE HAZARDS IN DRY PRODUCTS ONCE CONTAMINATED, PREVENTING CONTAMINATION FROM OCCURRING IN THE FIRST PLACE IS ESSENTIAL. THE PRIMARY MEANS OF PREVENTING CROSS-CONTAMINATION IS THROUGH SANITATION IN THE FOOD PRODUCTION ENVIRONMENT, BUT DRY FOOD MANUFACTURING POSES ADDITIONAL CHALLENGES AS WATER MUST OFTEN BE EXCLUDED. SUBSEQUENTLY, SANITATION STRATEGIES THAT ENHANCE REMOVAL OF FOOD SOILS AND ALLERGENIC RESIDUES, AND INACTIVATE MICROBIAL PATHOGENIC AND SPOILAGE TARGETS, WITHOUT THE INTRODUCTION OF MOISTURE, REPRESENT AN AREA OF NEED AND OPPORTUNITY FOR FOOD MANUFACTURERS. THIS RESEARCH WILL ADDRESS THE ABOVE CHALLENGE AREA THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES VALIDATED AGAINST RELEVANT MICROBIAL AND FOOD SOIL TARGETS UNDER CONTROLLED AND REAL-WORLD CONDITIONS. THE FIRST OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES TO BE EVALUATED IS AIR IMPINGEMENT.THIS WILL BE DELIVERED AS A MOVEABLE AIRSTREAM TO DISLODGE SOIL PARTICLES OF VARIOUS FOOD TYPES. AIR AT VELOCITIES AS HIGH AS 30 M/S WILL BE DIRECTED AT A SURFACE TO CREATE UNIQUE FLOW CHARACTERISTICS AT THE INTERFACE BETWEEN THE AIR AND THE SURFACE. IN ADDITION TO ENHANCEMENT OF HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER, THE FLOW CHARACTERISTICS WOULD BE EXPECTED TO ENHANCE MOMENTUM TRANSFER AT THE SURFACE AND REMOVE VERY SMALL PARTICLES (INCLUDING MICROBIAL CELLS) FROM THE SURFACE. THE SECOND OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES TO BE APPLIED IS SUPERCRITICAL STEAM WHICH, DESPITE ITS NAME, DOES NOT RESULT IN MOISTURE CONDENSING ON PRODUCTION SURFACES. RATHER, THE HIGH TEMPERATURES APPLIED WILL SERVE TO KILL PATHOGENIC BACTERIA AND SPOILAGE FUNGI THAT REMAIN ON PRODUCT CONTACT AND ADJACENT SURFACES. DURING TREATMENT, THE STEAM IS HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE HIGHER THAN BOILING POINT CORRESPONDING TO ITS PRESSURE. BY INCREASING THE TEMPERATURE ABOVE ITS BOILING POINT, THE SUPER-HEATED STEAM CONTAINS ABOUT 5% MOISTURE AND HAS PROPERTIES SIMILAR TO HOT GAS. WHEN SUPERHEATED STEAM CONTACTS MATERIAL, ITS SENSIBLE HEAT IS USED TO HEAT THE SURFACE. THERMAL ENERGY FROM THE SUPERHEATED STEAM CONTRIBUTES TO THE INACTIVATION OF MICROBES. IT DENATURES THE PROTEINS AND ENZYMES AND KILLS THE BACTERIA WITHOUT THE ACQUISITION OF ANY POTENTIAL CHEMICAL RESISTANCE OR CHEMICAL RESIDUE LEFT BEHIND. SINCE SUPERHEATED STEAM ACTS AS A GAS, IT IS ABLE TO DIFFUSE AND PENETRATE BACTERIAL BIOFILM MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN ANTIMICROBIAL LIQUID SOLUTIONS.BENCHTOP AND PILOT SCALE VERSIONS OF THESE TECHNOLOGIES WILL BE FABRICATED AND TESTED AGAINST A PANEL OF "WORST-CASE-SCENARIO" FOOD AND ALLERGENIC SOILS AS WELL AS MICROBIAL PATHOGENS, SPOILAGE ORGANISMS, AND THEIR SURROGATES. RELEVANT MICROBIAL TARGETS INCLUDE SALMONELLA, E. COLI, AND SPOILAGE FUNGI. THESE WILL BE ASSESSED FOR THEIR RESISTANCE TO THE TREATMENTS AS WELL AS THEIR ABILITY TO ADHERE TO SURFACES AND RESIST REMOVAL. ADHERENCE WILL ALSO BE EVALUATED AMONG FOOD SOILS THAT INCLUDE HIGH FAT SEMISOLIDS, PROTEIN POWDERS, AND SUGAR SYRUPS. ALLERGENIC RESIDUES FOR NUTS, WHEAT, AND DIARY WILL ALSO BE CONSIDERED AS A TARGET OF SANITATION PROGRAMS. THE EFFICACY OF THE NOVEL MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED HEREIN WILL BE EVALUATED USING A VARIETY OF MICROBIOLOGICAL, BIOCHEMICAL, AND IMAGING TECHNOLOGIES. THESE RESULTS WILL BE COMPARED TO THE EFFICACY OF CONVENTIONAL SCRAPING, VACUUMING, AND BRUSHING METHODS COMMONLY APPLIED. COLLECTIVELY, THIS WORK WILL HELP ESTABLISH BEST PRACTICES AND VERIFICATION METHODS FOR SANITATION IN DRY FOOD PROCESSING ENVIRONMENTS.THE NOVEL MANUFACTURING TECHNOLOGIES DEVELOPED HEREIN ARE POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVES TO EXISTING METHODS THAT CAN ENHANCE MANUFACTURER CONTROL OVER ENVIRONMENTAL SANITATION. THIS WILL, IN TURN, IMPROVE SAFETY THROUGH THE UTILIZATION OF PRACTICES WHICH REDUCE THE DEMAND ON WATER, SANITIZERS,AND WASTE STREAM MANAGEMENT IN FOOD MANUFACTURING, ALIGNING ALSO WITH CONSUMER PREFERENCES AND SUSTAINABILITY GOALS.