**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THIS PROJECT AIMS TO DEVELOP WAYS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF FROZEN FOOD PRODUCTS, LIMIT FOOD WASTE AND LOSS CAUSED BY ICE RECRYSTALLIZATION, AND IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF LIFE BY EXTENDING STORAGE OF FROZEN FOODS. ICE RECRYSTALLIZATION IS DEFINED AS THE GROWTH OF LARGE ICE CRYSTALS ON THE EXPENSE OF SMALL CRYSTALS. DURING STORAGE AND TRANSPORTATION OF FROZEN FOOD, ICE RECRYSTALLIZATION CHANGES THE WATER HOLDING CAPACITY, THE TEXTURE AND STRUCTURE OF THE PRODUCT. THUS, INHIBITING THE RATE OF RECRYSTALLIZATION DURING STORAGE IS ESSENTIAL. HOWEVER, THE MECHANISMS BY WHICH ADDITIVES INHIBIT ICE RECRYSTALLIZATION ARE POORLY UNDERSTOOD.THE APPROACH AND OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT ARE TWOFOLD: (A) A COMBINATION OF COLD STAGES AND FLUORESCENCE MICROSCOPY WILL AFFORD ICE RECRYSTALLIZATION RATE MEASUREMENTS IN AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS IN THE PRESENCE OF VARIOUS ADDITIVES. THE BINDING RATE OF ADDITIVES TO ICE DURING RECRYSTALLIZATION WILL BE MEASURED, WHICH WILL UNLOCK NEW UNDERSTANDINGS OF THE MECHANISM OF RECRYSTALLIZATION INHIBITION BY ADDITIVES, INCLUDING ICE-BINDING PROTEINS. (B) A NEW THERMAL IMAGING METHOD WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR REAL-TIME RECRYSTALLIZATION RATE MEASUREMENTS IN FROZEN FOOD. THESE MEASUREMENTS WILL TEST THE EFFICACY OF ADDITIVES ON ICE RECRYSTALLIZATION INHIBITION IN VARIOUS FOOD SAMPLES, IN ADDITION TO DIFFERENT COOLING RATES AND OF STORAGE TEMPERATURES, ALL AIMED AT REDUCED RECRYSTALLIZATION RATES.UNDERSTANDING THE ICE RECRYSTALLIZATION MECHANISM IN FROZEN FOODS WILL REVEAL THE OPTIMAL CONDITIONS THAT MINIMIZED RECRYSTALLIZATION, AND WILL FACILITATE THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW MANUFACTURING AND STORAGE PROCEDURES FOR FROZEN FOOD QUALITY PRESERVATION.