Developing Salmonella Control Strategies for Spray-Dried Powders

The long-term goal of this research is to reduce the risk of salmonellosis associated with low-moisture foods by developing an integrated process model and evaluating microbiological hazards in theentire manufacturing process, in order to recommend preventative, effective, and practical Salmonella control strategies for pathogen free low-moisture foods.The specific objectives are:1. To develop an integrated process model encompassing Salmonella inactivation/growth (in accumulated deposits) kinetics under spray drying conditions.2. To evaluate the entire spray drying system (including processes before and after dryer), using the integrated process model to locate and verify the risk of Salmonella contamination.3. To devise multifaceted solutions regarding process modifications, hygienic equipment design, dry cleaning technology, or hurdle technologies for eliminating Salmonella.