IN THE UNITED STATES, FOOD WASTE IS ESTIMATED AT BETWEEN 30-40% OF THE FOOD SUPPLY. FOOD WASTE REPRESENTS SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF MONEY AND OTHER RESOURCES INVESTED IN FOOD PRODUCTION THAT DOES NOT ULTIMATELY MEET ITS INTENDED PURPOSE OF FEEDING PEOPLE. MEAT PRODUCTS ACCOUNT FOR ONE THIRD OF TOTAL VALUE OF FOOD LOSS DUE TO THE SPOILAGE AND PHYSICAL APPEARANCE DETERIORATION. COLOR CHANGE, DEVELOPMENT OF WARMED-OVER FLAVORS, AND SPOILAGE RESULT FROM THE OXIDATION OF POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS IN MEAT DURING STORAGE, PREPARATION AND REHEATING. CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS FORMED DURING OXIDATION NOT ONLY PRODUCE UNDESIRED FLAVOR AND CAUSE DISCOLORATION BUT MIGHT ALSO ADVERSELY AFFECT HUMAN HEALTH. MYOGLOBIN (RED PIGMENT IN MEAT) DISCOLORS TO A METMYOGLOBIN STATE THAT IS AN UNSIGHTLY GREENISH BROWN WHICH LEADS TO RETAIL DISPLAY AND CONSUMER RELUCTANCE TO PURCHASE. TO EXTEND THE SHELF-LIFE OF FRESH AND PRECOOKED MEAT, VARIOUS PLANT DERIVED ADDITIVES HAVE BEEN EXPLORED. RECENTLY WE HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT MUSTARD SEED MEAL, A VIABLE SOURCE OF NON-ALLERGEN CONTAINING LECITHIN AND PHOSPHOLIPIDS, COULD SERVE AS BINDER IN PROCESSED MEAT PRODUCTS TO IMPROVE YIELD, SHELF STABILITY, AND SENSORY CHARACTERISTICS.USING OUR PATENTED TECHNOLOGY, WE ARE ABLE TO PRODUCE EXTRACTS THAT CONTAIN HIGHER CONCENTRATION OF ANTIMICROBIAL AND ANTIOXIDANT COMPOUNDS THAN TYPICAL MUSTARD MEAL, WHILE SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCING THE CONTENT OF UNDESIRABLE MUSTARD SEED MEAL CONSTITUENTS. OUR HYPOTHESIS IS THAT INCORPORATION OF OUR NOVEL MUSTARD MEAL EXTRACTS TO MEAT PRODUCTS CAN REDUCE LIPID OXIDATION, STABILIZE MEAT COLOR, AND INCREASE WATER HOLDING CAPACITY - CHARACTERISTICS THAT WOULD ULTIMATELY PROLONG SHELF-LIFE OF MEAT PRODUCTS AND REDUCE FOOD LOSS. BY USING A COMPREHENSIVE INTERDISCIPLINARY APPROACH, WE WILL STUDY THE OVERALL EFFECTS OF MUSTARD MEAL EXTRACTS ADDITION ON MICROBIOLOGICAL AND PHYSIO-CHEMICAL QUALITIES OF FRESH AND PRE-COOKED BEEF PATTIES AND IDENTIFY SUITABLE BIOMARKERS THAT CAN POTENTIALLY BE UTILIZED FOR SPOILAGE MONITORING IN MEAT PRODUCTS. OUR PROPOSED RESEARCH PROJECT WILL ADVANCE THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW TECHNOLOGIES TO IMPROVE SHELF-LIFE OF FRESH AND PRECOOKED MEAT PRODUCTS AND TO MINIMIZE FOOD WASTE. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO PROVE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ADDING VALUE TO MEAT AND OILSEED PRODUCTS.