THE FOOD AND BEVERAGE INDUSTRY HAS BEEN LOOKING FOR WAYS OF DELIVERING HEALTHIER AND BETTER-TASTING PRODUCTS TO CONSUMERS. AT THE SAME TIME, THESE PRODUCTS MUST BE FREE OF HARMFUL PATHOGENIC BACTERIA, TO ENSURE CONSUMER SAFETY. THE NORMAL APPROACH OF INDUSTRY IS TO PASTEURIZE SUCH FOODS USING HEAT, WHICH RESULTS IN A SAFE PRODUCT, BUT CAUSES SOME UNAVOIDABLE DEGRADATION OF NUTRITIONAL AND VALUABLE HEALTHFUL FOOD COMPONENTS.WE HAVE DEVELOPED A TECHNOLOGY, WHEREIN LIQUID FOODS AND BEVERAGES MAY BE SUBJECTED TO MODERATE ELECTRIC FIELDS (MEF), WHILE UNDERGOING PHYSICAL AGITATION (SHEAR STRESS -SS), WHICH CAN DESTROY HARMFUL BACTERIA AT CLOSE TO ROOM TEMPERATURES. THE CONCEPT HAS BEEN TESTED ON A LABORATORY DEVICE, AND FOUND EFFECTIVE IN RETAINING ANTIOXIDANTS AND OTHER HEALTHY FOOD COMPONENTS. WE HAVE A PROVISIONAL PATENT APPLICATION IN PLACE FOR THE TECHNOLOGY.WE SEEK TO TEST THE TECHNOLOGY AGAINST SELECTED PATHOGENIC BACTERIA, FOR A NUMBER OF PRODUCTS, INCLUDING ORANGE, KALE AND MANGO JUICES; LIQUID EGGS, AND PEACH PUREE. WE ALSO PLAN TO BUILD A LARGER, PILOT SCALE PROCESSING DEVICE THAT COULD BE DEMONSTRATED TO, AND USED BY INDUSTRY IN THEIR EFFORTS TO COMMERCIALIZE IMPROVED PROCESSING METHODS. WE WILL BE WORKING TO ADDRESS INDUSTRY QUESTIONS TO DEVELOP THE TECHNICAL AND ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY OF THE TECHNOLOGY. WE WILL ALSO BE MAKING A COMPREHENSIVE DETERMINATION OF CHANGES TO THE FOOD UNDER MEF-SS TREATMENTS TO DETERMINE ITS EFFECT ON HEALTHFUL COMPONENTS IN COMPARISON TO HEAT PASTEURIZATION. WE WILL ALSO TEST A FORTIFIED ORANGE JUICE FOR RETENTION OF HEALTH-PROMOTING COMPONENTS.THE INFORMATION DEVELOPED IN THIS PROJECT WILL BE DISSEMINATED TO INDUSTRY, STUDENTS AND CONSUMERS.