**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** SALMONELLA ENTERICA HAS BEEN IMPLICATED IN RECENT FOODBORNE OUTBREAKS LINKED TO THE CONSUMPTION OF LEAFY GREENS. LOW-MOISTURE FOODS SUCH AS ALMONDS HAVE ALSO BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH SALMONELLA OUTBREAKS, WHERE S. ENTERICA WAS FOUND TO PERSIST ON RAW ALMONDS COLLECTED FROM ALMOND PRODUCTION AND PROCESSING ENVIRONMENT. FOODBORNE PATHOGENS SUCH AS S. ENTERICA MAY ENCOUNTER SUB-LETHAL STRESSES IN THE FOOD PRODUCTION SYSTEMS, WHICH CAN INDUCE ADAPTIVE RESPONSES THAT MAKE THEM RESISTANT TO SUBSEQUENT FOOD SANITATION PROCESSES. ADAPTATIONS OF S. ENTERICA TO THESE STRESSES MAY CONSTITUTE POTENTIAL HEALTH HAZARDS TO CONSUMERS. THE PRIMARY GOAL OF THIS PROPOSED STUDY IS TO DEVELOP AND VALIDATE AN EFFECTIVE NON-THERMAL PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY TO REDUCE THE PRESENCE OF PERSISTENT S. ENTERICA ON LEAFY GREENS AND LOW-MOISTURE FOODS. WE WILL FIRST QUANTIFY THE IMPACT OF PRIOR DESICCATION, OXIDATION, HEAT SHOCK, OR ACID STRESS ON THE RESISTANCE OF S. ENTERICA AND ITS NON-PATHOGENIC SURROGATE ENTEROCOCCUS FAECIUM NRRL B-2354 ON SPRING MIX AND ALMONDS TO GASEOUS CHLORINE DIOXIDE OR ULTRAVIOLET-C (UV-C) LIGHT, AND THEIR PERSISTENCE ON SPRING MIX DURING POST-TREATMENT TEMPERATURE ABUSE STORAGE. WE WILL THEN DEVELOP AND VALIDATE A COMBINED TREATMENT OF GASEOUS CHLORINE DIOXIDE AND UV-C LIGHT FOR INACTIVATING PRE-STRESSED S. ENTERICA AND E. FAECIUM NRRL B-2354 ON SPRING MIX AND ALMONDS. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WOULD BE THE FIRST STEP TOWARD UTILIZING THE SURVIVAL DATA OF PRE-STRESSED CELLS WHEN DEVELOPING AND VALIDATING FOOD SANITATION TECHNOLOGIES TO REDUCE THE PRESENCE OF PERSISTENT PATHOGENS.