**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** PROBIOTICS ARE LIVE MICROORGANISMS THAT ARE CAPABLE OF CONFERRING HEALTH BENEFITS TO THE HOST WHEN PRESENT IN SUFFICIENT AMOUNTS. DEMAND FOR PROBIOTICS IS INCREASING, BUT CONSUMERS DON'T NECESSARILY WANT THEM IN PILL FORM; THEY WANT FOOD AND BEVERAGE PRODUCTS WITH PROBIOTICS INCORPORATED, AND THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY MORE FOR THOSE PRODUCTS. THE MOST COMMONLY USED PROBIOTICS HAVE BEEN LACTOBACILLI AND BIFIDOBACTERIA, AND TRADITIONALLY THESE BACTERIA HAVE BEEN INCORPORATED INTO YOGURT AND SIMILAR FERMENTED DAIRY PRODUCTS, WHERE THEY HAVE A LONG HISTORY AS STARTER CULTURES AND CAN EASILY THRIVE. MORE RECENTLY, THERE IS A DESIRE TO INCORPORATE PROBIOTICS INTO A LARGER VARIETY OF FOOD PRODUCTS, INCLUDING COOKIES, SNACK BARS, AND CRACKERS. HOWEVER, TO BE FUNCTIONAL, PROBIOTIC VIABILITY AT THE TIME OF CONSUMPTION OF THE FOOD PRODUCTS IS ESSENTIAL; AND TRADITIONAL PROBIOTICS WILL NOT SURVIVE THE HIGHER TEMPERATURES IN MANY OF THE NEW FOOD PRODUCTS BEING PROPOSED AS CARRIERS FOR PROBIOTICS.SEVERAL BACILLUS STRAINS WITH CLAIMED PROBIOTIC PROPERTIES HAVE EXHIBITED SUPERIOR SURVIVABILITY DURING FOOD PROCESSING SINCE SPORE-FORMING ORGANISMS HAVE IMPROVED STABILITY DURING HEAT PROCESSING. IN ADDITION, THE BACILLUS SPORES ARE ABLE TO SURVIVE PASSAGE THROUGH THE GASTRIC AND BILE ACIDS OF THE STOMACH AND INTESTINAL TRACT. THESE SURVIVAL CHARACTERISTICS MAKE THEM VERY VALUABLE AS PROBIOTICS. NUMEROUS BACILLUS SPECIES ARE NOW AVAILABLE AS COMMERCIAL PROBIOTIC SUPPLEMENTS, AND SOME ARE BEING INCORPORATED INTO A WIDE ARRAY OF FOOD PRODUCTS. HOWEVER, LITTLE KNOWLEDGE OF THE STABILITY AND LONGEVITY OF THE BACILLUS PROBIOTICS WITHIN DIFFERENT FOOD MATRICES EXISTS. A NUMBER OF FACTORS CONTRIBUTE TO THE VIABILITY OF PROBIOTIC ORGANISMS, INCLUDING PRODUCT ATTRIBUTES SUCH AS WATER ACTIVITY, FAT CONTENT, AND PROCESSING TIME AND TEMPERATURE; AND THE COMPATIBILITY OF PROBIOTICS WITH THE FOOD MATRIX COMPOSITION WILL SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACT THEIR SURVIVAL.BACILLUS PROBIOTICS HAVE ALSO BEEN USED EXTENSIVELY AS FEED SUPPLEMENTS FOR ANIMALS, AND THE USE OF BACILLUS ORGANISMS FOR COMPETITIVE EXCLUSION OF OTHER PATHOGENIC BACTERIA WITHIN NUMEROUS ANIMAL SPECIES HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL. IT IS HYPOTHESIZED THAT BACILLUS PROBIOTICS COULD ALSO BE USED FOR THE COMPETITIVE EXCLUSION OF PATHOGENIC BACTERIA WITHIN FOOD FORMULATIONS. TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, THIS HAS NOT BEEN STUDIED.THE MAIN GOALS OF THIS PROJECT ARE TO EVALUATE THE STABILITY AND SURVIVABILITY OF BACILLUS PROBIOTICS IN DIFFERENT FOOD PRODUCTS, AND ALSO TO EVALUATE THE POTENTIAL FOR USE OF BACILLUS PROBIOTICS TO INHIBIT OTHER PATHOGENS IN READY-TO-EAT PRODUCTS.