ONE OF THE LEADING CAUSES OF DEATH FROM FOOD POISONING IN THE UNITED STATES RESULTS FROM INFECTIONS WITHLISTERIABACTERIA.EACH OF THE ~1,600LISTERIACASES PER YEARCOSTS $0.8 TO $2.8 MILLION. DROP IN CONSUMER CONFIDENCE AFTER PRODUCT RECALLS LEADS TO INCREASED LOSSES.ERADICATION OFLISTERIAFROM FOOD PRODUCTS IS COMPLICATED BY THE BACTERIA'S TOLERANCE OF REFRIGERATED TEMPERATURES, HEAT, HIGH SALT CONCENTRATIONS AND COMMON DISINFECTANTS.LISTERIA'S SURVIVABILITY RELIES ON PROTECTIVE WALLS OF SUGARS AND PROTEINS CALLED BIOFILMS THAT THE BACTERIA SECRETE AROUND THEIR COLONIES. BIOFILMS REDUCE THE EFFECTIVENESS OF COMMON WASHING TO CLEAN VEGETABLES. OTHER CLEANING METHODS WITH HIGH PROCESSING TEMPERATURES AND PRESSURES ALTER FOOD QUALITIES.REMOVING HARMFUL BACTERIA FROM LEAFY FOODS SUCH AS SPINACH WITHOUT LOSS OF FOOD QUALITY REQUIRES AN OPTIMIZED COMBINATION OF ENERGY AND CHEMICALS. ENERGY DELIVERED AS PULSES OF ELECTRICITY OPENS PORES IN BIOFILMS AND BACTERIA, SO THAT NATURAL CHEMICALS LIKE VINEGAR PENETRATE AND QUICKLY KILL BACTERIA. LIQUID FRUIT JUICES HAVE BEEN PRESERVED USING PULSED ELECTRIC FIELDS (PEF) COMMERCIALLY SINCE 2006. TO PROCESS SOLID FOODS WITH PEF, THE INTENSITY AND TIMING OF PULSED ELECTRIC FIELDS (PEF) WILL BE TUNED, SIMILAR TO TUNING A RADIO, TO TARGET BACTERIA WHILE NOT PORATING, HEATING OR OTHERWISE DAMAGING LEAFY FOODS.IF SUCCESSFUL, THE PROPOSED SOLID-TUNED PEF CAN BE READILY ADAPTED TO KILL MOST TYPES OF BACTERIA AND YEAST IN ORDER TO TREAT A VARIETY OF FOOD PRODUCTS, SAVING HUNDREDS OF LIVES AND BILLIONS OF DOLLARS PER YEAR.