AFTER DECADES OF USDA DIETARY GUIDELINES, LESS THAN 20% OF AMERICANS CONSUME THE MINIMUM RECOMMENDED AMOUNT OF WHOLE GRAIN. FROM A MANUFACTURING STANDPOINT, THE DEVELOPMENT OFHIGH-QUALITYWHOLE GRAIN FOOD IS CHALLENGING. WHEN CEREAL FOODS ARE MANUFACTURED WITH WHOLE GRAIN FLOUR INSTEAD OF REFINED WHEAT FLOUR, LOWER PRODUCT ACCEPTABILITY IS OBSERVED THAT LIMITS CONSUMPTION. THE LONG-TERM GOAL OF THIS PROPOSAL IS TO PROVIDE A PRACTICAL 'FOOD SYSTEMS' STRATEGY THAT ADVANCES THE FLAVOR ATTRIBUTES OF WHOLE-WHEAT FOOD PRODUCTS TO INCREASE CONSUMPTION AND PROMOTE HEALTH IMPACT. TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL THE CURRENT PROPOSAL IS FOCUSED ON TWO CENTRAL RESEARCH THEMES. FIRST, TO UTILIZE A NOVEL HYPOTHESIS SEEKING UNTARGETED (COMPREHENSIVE) ANALYTICAL APPROACH,FLAVOROMICS, WITH INNOVATIVE CONSUMER SENSORY TESTING PARADIGMS THAT CONSIDER MULTIPLE FACETS OF REWARD, TO ENABLE THE IDENTIFICATION OF UNIQUE FLAVOR COMPOUNDS (AND COMPOSITION) THAT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVE THE DESIRABILITY AND ACCEPTABILITY OF WHOLE WHEAT BREAD. SECOND, TO FURTHER APPLYFLAVOROMICTECHNIQUES TO CHARACTERIZE PATHWAYS OF FLAVOR DEVELOPMENT THAT IMPACT THE FOOD REWARD COMPLEX. THE TWO MAINOUTCOMES OF THIS RESEARCH WILL (1) ENABLE WHEAT BREEDING PROGRAMS TO ENHANCE FLAVOR TRAITS, IN PARALLEL TO EFFORTS USED TO IMPROVE YIELD AND DISEASE RESISTANCE, ULTIMATELY GETTING MORE FROM BREEDING INNOVATION, AND DEVELOPING SOLUTIONS THAT IMPACT CONSUMPTION AND (2) FACILITATE OPTIMIZATION OF POST-HARVEST HANDLING PRACTICES AND FOOD PRODUCTION STRATEGIES TO MAINTAIN FLAVOR QUALITY.THE POTENTIAL IMPACT TO THE US AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY IS TO ENABLE PRODUCTION AGRICULTURE AND FOOD MANUFACTURERS TO MORE EFFECTIVELY DESIGN THE FLAVOR QUALITY OF WHOLE GRAIN FLOUR/FOODS LEADING ULTIMATELY TO INCREASED CONSUMPTION AND RELATED HEALTH IMPACTS. THIS WILL ALSO PROVIDE A BASIS TO GROW THIS KEY SECTOR OF THE AGRICULTURE MARKET BOTH DOMESTICALLY AND INTERNATIONALLY. THE POTENTIAL IMPACT OF PROMOTING A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE FOR AMERICANS ISALSO NOTEWORTHY GIVEN THE POTENTIAL TO SAVE TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN HEALTH CARE COSTS IN ADDITION TO THE OVERWHELMING HUMAN COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH CHRONIC DISEASE.