FOODBORNE PATHOGENS CAN SURVIVE AND PERSIST ON PRODUCE SURFACES AND IN PROCESSING ENVIRONMENTS. PERSISTENT PATHOGENS OCCUR IN DIFFERENT STATES. IN ADDITION TO BEING CULTURABLE (GROWING ON TRADITIONAL BACTERIA CULTURE MEDIA AND FORMING VISIBLE COLONIES), PERSISTENT CELLS CAN BE IN VIABLE-BUT-NONCULTURABLE (VBNC, A STATUS IN WHICH CELL DOES NOT GROW AND FORM COLONIES ON TRADITIONAL CULTURE MEDIA), SUBLETHALLY-INJURED (CELLS IN THIS STATUS CAN ONLY GROW ON NUTRIENT RICH NON-SELECTIVE AGAR AND CAN NOT GROW ON SELECTIVE AGARS), OR PERSISTER STATES (PERSISTER CELLS CAN SURVIVE TYPICAL ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENTS USED FOR TREATING PATHOGEN INFECTIONS IN HUMAN). THE UN-CULTURABILITY OF VBNC AND SUBLETHALLY-INJURED CELLS ON TRADITIONAL SELECTIVE AGAR AND THE CAPABILITY OF PERSISTER CELLS TO SURVIVE TYPICAL ANTIBIOTIC TREATMENTS MAKE PATHOGENS IN THESE STATES A GREAT FOOD SAFETY CONCERN. FOOD LOSS CAUSED BY FUNGICIDE-RESISTANT FUNGI HAS BECOME ANOTHER CHALLENGE FOR THE PRODUCE INDUSTRY. THESE PERSISTENT FUNGI CAN ALSO TURN INTO FOOD SAFETY PROBLEMS BECAUSE OF THE PRODUCTION OF MYCOTOXINS OR OTHER TOXIC METABOLITES AND THE INVOLVEMENT OF SPOILED FRUIT AND VEGETABLE TISSUES IN SUPPORTING THE SURVIVAL AND GROWTH OF HUMAN PATHOGENS. TO BETTER CONTROL PERSISTENT MICROORGANISMS ON FRUIT AND VEGETABLE SURFACES, THIS PROPOSAL AIMS TO DEVELOP A NOVEL LIGHT-DRIVEN RENEWABLE BACTERICIDAL AND FUNGICIDAL WAX SUPPLEMENT TO ACHIEVE CONTINUOUS INACTIVATION OF PERSISTENT MICROORGANISMS DURING STORAGE AND/OR SHIPMENT. THE RESEARCH TEAM HAS DISCOVERED AND PROVEN THE BACTERICIDAL AND FUNGICIDAL ACTIVITY OF VITAMIN K3 (VK3), AND IDENTIFIED THE RECHARGEABILITY OF VK3 UNDER LIGHT. ITS RECHARGING EFFICIENCY UNDER REGULAR LIGHT (THE COMMON LIGHT SOURCES USED AT PACKINGHOUSES, RETAIL STORES AND CONSUMER HOMES) CAN BE ENHANCED BY USING VITAMIN B2 (VB2) AS A LIGHT ENERGY CONVERTOR AND DONOR. THE PROPOSED VK3+VB2 COMBINATION IS SAFE AND EASY FOR USE. THE RESEARCH TEAM HAS PROMISING PRELIMINARY DATA ANDSTRONG SUPPORT FROM THE INDUSTRY. INCORPORATING THIS NOVEL SUPPLEMENT INTO COMMERCIAL WAX MAKES WAXING A NEW FOOD SAFETY PREVENTIVE CONTROL STEP FOR PACKINGHOUSES TO IMPROVE FOOD SAFETY.