OATS ARE CONSIDERED TO BE ONE OF THE HEALTHIEST CEREAL FOODS AND THE CONSUMER DEMAND FOR OATS AND OAT-BASED PRODUCTS HAVE STEADILY INCREASED OVER THE YEARS. THIS TREND MAY BE DESIRABLE IN PROMOTING PUBLIC HEALTH. HOWEVER, RECENT SURVEYS CONDUCTED IN THE UNITED STATES HAVE FOUND HIGH LEVELS AND INCIDENCES OF OCHRATOXIN A (OTA), A POSSIBLE HUMAN CARCINOGEN, IN OAT-BASED CEREAL PRODUCTS PARTICULARLY IN INFANT CEREALS. SEVERAL TOXIGENIC FUNGI IN THE GENUS ASPERGILLUS AND PENICILLIUM ARE KNOWN TO CONTAMINATE AGRICULTURAL CROPS NATURALLY AND PRODUCE OTA. THIS POTENT RENAL TOXIN HAS BEEN REGULATED IN OTHER COUNTRIES BUT NO REGULATION OR GUIDELINE FOR OTA IN FOODS HAS BEEN SET IN THE UNITED STATES. WHILE VARIOUS FOOD PROCESSES COULD HELP REDUCING OTA, SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE TOXIN TENDS TO REMAIN IN INFANT FOODS DUE TO ITS HEAT STABILITY. HENCE, IT IS NECESSARY TO DEVELOP A PRACTICAL STRATEGY TO MITIGATE THE TOXICITY OF UNAVOIDABLE OTA. WE PROPOSE TO INVESTIGATE THE PROTECTIVE EFFECT OF ANTIOXIDANTS AGAINST OTA USING IN VITRO AND IN VIVO BIOASSAYS AS OXIDATIVE STRESS APPEARS TO BE THE MOST PLAUSIBLE UNDERLYING MECHANISM OF TOXICITY OF OTA. TO ENSURE UTILITY OF THE RESULTS AND BROADER IMPACT ON PUBLIC HEALTH, THIS STUDY WILL BE CONDUCTED IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH FOOD INDUSTRY. THE PROPOSED RESEARCH WILL PROVIDE A PROOF OF CONCEPT AS WELL AS SCIENTIFIC DATA TO ESTABLISH EFFECTIVE CONTROL STRATEGIES TO ADDRESS THE THREAT OF OTA CONTAMINATION IN OAT-BASED INFANT CEREALS.