** 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 IS A LEADING BACTERIAL CAUSE OF FOODBORNE ILLNESS IN THE UNITED STATES. DESPITE AN OVERALL REDUCTION IN SALMONELLA INCIDENCE IN BROILER CHICKENS DURING SLAUGHTER OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE NUMBER OF HUMAN CASES THAT ARE LINKED TO CONTAMINATED CHICKEN PRODUCTS HAS NOT DECREASED. THEREFORE, THERE IS A CRITICAL NEED FOR NOVEL APPROACHES TO REDUCE THIS SIGNIFICANT PATHOGEN IN CHICKEN PRODUCTS. THIS PROPOSAL SEEKS TO SCREEN BROILERS BEFORE SLAUGHTER BY ASSESSING THE AMOUNT OF SALMONELLA AND ALSO THE PRESENCE OF SPECIFIC SALMONELLA TYPES ('SEROTYPES') THAT ARE OF GREATEST CONCERN TO HUMAN HEALTH AND TO USE THIS INFORMATION TO ATTRIBUTE A RISK SCORE TO EACH BROILER FLOCK. BY SLAUGHTERING LOWEST RISK BROILER FLOCKS FIRST, WE EXPECT TO REDUCE OVERALL SALMONELLA CONTAMINATION BY KEEPING LOWER-RISK FLOCKS FREE OF CROSS-CONTAMINATION FROM HIGHER-RISK FLOCKS. THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE IS TO TEST AND MODEL A REALISTIC AND DEDICATED RISK MANAGEMENT STRATEGY TO REDUCE SALMONELLA,SPECIFICALLY SEROTYPES HIGHLY ASSOCIATED WITH HUMAN ILLNESS, BY DIRECTED PROCESSING OF BROILER CARCASSES. THE EXPECTED OUTCOME IS TO DEFINE AN EFFECTIVE AND REALISTIC APPROACH TO REDUCING SALMONELLA IN POULTRY THAT WORKS WITHIN THE CONFINES OF A COMPLEX INDUSTRY. OUR OUTCOMES WILL HAVE A POSITIVE IMPACT BY GENERATING MODELS THAT STAKEHOLDERS AND POLICYMAKERS CAN USE TO ENHANCE FOOD SAFETY PRACTICES AND POLICIES THAT ARE CENTERED ON REDUCING PATHOGENS IN POULTRY AND IN OTHER FOOD ANIMAL PRODUCTION SYSTEMS.