Nuts, spices, peanut butter and other low-moisture foods, long considered safe, can contain enough harmful bacteria to sicken people. Current pasteurization methods that kill pathogens are time-consuming and frequently harm quality of dry foods. A UNL food science and engineering team received nearly $950,000 to develop and implement technologies that eliminate pathogens and protect food quality. This research is part of a $5 million U.S. Department of Agriculture initiative to enhance low-moisture food safety. The team will share findings with food processors and work with them to meet new food safety regulations. Collaborators are Michigan State University, Washington State University, Illinois Institute of Technology and North Carolina State University.
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