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<ol> <li>Investigate reducing the heating requirements for meat products by systematically expanding the multiple food formulation variables;
<li>Conduct dynamic pasteurization studies and develop predictive models for pathogens for the thermal inactivation, injury, repair and behavior in modified atmosphere packaged meats;
<li>Assess the fate of pathogens during cooling
<li>Develop an RT-PCR assay to detect Heat-injured pathogens; and
<li>Identify the mechanisms of heat resistance of pathogens.</ol>
To define reducing cooking temperatures to destroy pathogens, a fractional factorial experimental design will be used to assess the interactions of food and environmental factors (temperature, pH, acidulant identity, acidulant concentration, water activity and humectant identity, and concentration of various chemical preservatives including NaCl and phosphates) on thermal destruction of bacterial pathogens. Conduct low temperature-long time cooking to assess fate of the surviving pathogens in modified atmosphere packaged meats. Evaluate excessive time in cooling of heated products to determine if the product remain safe. Use RT-PCR technique to study the effect of sublethal heating on the generation of injured bacteria. Elucidate the mechanisms of heat resistance in pathogenic spores; identity ultrastructural targets of heat damage, expression of heat induced molecular changes in C. perfringens vegetative cells, and small acid soluble proteins involvement in the thermal stability of spore DNA.