**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** ANIMAL-DERIVED ADULTERANTS (I.E., FRAUDULENTLY ADDED SUBSTANCE) IN FOODS HAS BEEN A CRITICAL ISSUE AS FOOD FRAUD FOR YEARS, WHICH NOT ONLY VIOLATES RELEVANT FOOD REGULATIONS BUT ALSO RELATES TO FOOD QUALITY AND SAFETY. IN PARTICULAR, ANIMAL-DERIVED ADULTERANTS CAN CAUSE FOODBORNE ILLNESSES SUCH AS INDIVIDUAL ALLERGIES AND INFECTION OF FOODBORNE PATHOGENS. EFFECTIVE ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES FOR ADULTERANT DETECTION ARE CRUCIALLY IMPORTANT TO MONITOR AND PREVENT ADULTERATED FOOD PRODUCTS. NEVERTHELESS, CURRENT ANALYTICAL TECHNIQUES OFTEN INVOLVE SOPHISTICATED INSTRUMENTS, COMPLICATE PROCEDURES, HIGH COST, AND/OR SKILLED PERSONNEL, WHICH INHIBITS THE EXTENSIVE IMPLEMENTATION OF ADULTERANT DETECTION IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP A SIMPLE PAPER-BASED TEST STRIP FOR THE RAPID AND SENSITIVE DETECTION OF ANIMAL-DERIVED ADULTERANTS IN FOODS. THE TEST STRIP WORKS IN A SIMILAR WAY AS THE OVER-THE-COUNTER PREGNANCY TEST, ENSURING GREAT SIMPLICITY OF THE DETECTION. MEANWHILE, THE TEST STRIP IS HIGHLY SENSITIVE OWING TO THE USE OF CAREFULLY ENGINEERED NANOPARTICLES THAT CAN GENERATE STRONG DETECTION SIGNAL. SUCH A TEST STRIP IS EXPECTED TO BE WIDELY USED IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY BECAUSE OF ITS SIMPLICITY AND COST-EFFECTIVENESS. THE SUCCESS OF THIS PROJECT WILL BE OF GREAT BENEFIT TO FIGHTING FOOD FRAUD BY PROVIDING A TYPE OF SIMPLE, AFFORDABLE, AND SENSITIVE STRIP TEST FOR ADULTERANT DETECTION.