FOR THE LAST THREE DECADES, NUMEROUS OUTBREAKS LINKED TO FRESH PRODUCE HAVE OCCURRED IN THE USA ALMOST ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. COUNTLESS STUDIES HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED TO ADDRESS THE ISSUE OF FRESH PRODUCE SAFETY. HOWEVER, THERE ARE NO KNOWN MITIGATION STRATEGIES THAT COULD COMPLETELY INACTIVATE PATHOGENS WHILE MAINTAINING PRODUCE FRESHNESS. THE MAJORITY OF STUDIES HAVE BEEN FOCUSED ON DEVELOPING INTERVENTIONS THAT COULD BE USED BY THE FOOD INDUSTRY. HOWEVER, THE DRAWBACK OF THAT APPROACH IS THAT SINCE CURRENT TECHNOLOGIES CANNOT COMPLETELY INACTIVATE PATHOGENS, BACTERIAL SURVIVORS CAN POTENTIALLY GROW TO HIGHER LEVELS DURING POST-PROCESSING OPERATIONS. THERE ARE ALSO CONCERNS ABOUT RE-CONTAMINATION DURING POST-PROCESSING OPERATIONS. THEREFORE, THE BEST WAY TO APPLY AN INTERVENTION TECHNOLOGY IS TO DECONTAMINATE FRESH PRODUCE RIGHT BEFORE CONSUMPTION. IN THIS PROJECT, WE INTEND TO DEVELOP AND EVALUATE A USER-FRIENDLY APPLIANCE THAT COULD BE USED AT HOME, RESTAURANTS, CAFETERIAS, HOSPITALS, AND COMMERCIAL KITCHENS TO SIMULTANEOUSLY DECONTAMINATE AND CLEAN FRESH PRODUCE. WE WILL FIRST CONSTRUCT AN APPLIANCE THAT WASHES FRESH PRODUCE USING AGITATED WATER WHILE EXPOSING THEM TO SHORTWAVE ULTRAVIOLET (UV) LIGHT. THE DECONTAMINATION EFFICACY OF THIS APPLIANCE WILL BE STUDIED. THEN WE WILL TEST WHETHER ULTRASOUND COULD BE USED AS AN ADDITIONAL HURDLE TO ENHANCE THE DECONTAMINATION EFFICACY OF THIS UV APPLIANCE. A FINAL VERSION OF THIS APPLIANCE WITH OPTIMUM PROCESSING CONDITIONS WILL BE CONSTRUCTED AND ITS EFFECT ON FRESH PRODUCE QUALITY WILL BE STUDIED.