**AWARDS ISSUED PRIOR TO JANUARY 20, 2025, WERE FUNDED UNDER PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS AND MAY NOT REFLECT THE PRIORITIES AND POLICIES OF THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.** THE INCREASING DEMAND FORHIGH-QUALITY FOODS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE GROWING WORLD'S POPULATION REQUIRES THE DEVELOPMENT OF MORE EFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE TECHNIQUES OF FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION. THE CONCEPT OF HURDLE TECHNOLOGY IN FOOD PROCESSING AND PRESERVATION INVOLVES THE APPLICATION OF DIFFERENT PROCESSES OR AGENTS (SUCH AS HEAT ORHIGH INTENSITY LIGHT) AT LOW DOSES OR SHORT PERIODS OF TIME, IN COMBINATION OR SEQUENTIALLY. THIS MAY RESULT IN A FINAL PRODUCT WITH SATISFACTORY LEVELS OF QUALITY (NUTRIENTS, AND ACCEPTABLE FLAVOR AND APPEARANCE) AND WHICH AT THE SAME TIME IS SAFE FOR CONSUMPTION (DUE TO THE REDUCTION OR ELIMINATION BY THE HURDLES OF THE MICROORGANISMS THAT MAY CAUSESPOILAGE OR DISEASE). FOODS NEED TO BE PACKAGED FOR THEIR PRESERVATION, STORAGE, COMMERCIALIZATION AND TRANSPORTATION, AND THE MATERIALS USED FOR THEIR PACKAGING ARE FREQUENTLY NONBIODEGRADABLE, WHICH TRANSLATES INTO ENVIRONMETAL DAMAGEAND A POTENTIAL THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH. THE USE OF ANTIMICROBIAL AND BIODEGRADABLEPACKAGING IS AN ATTRACTIVE CONCEPT THAT DUE TO SOME TECHNICAL LIMITATIONS HAS NOT BEEN WIDELY USED IN COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE FOOD PRODUCTS. IN THIS PROJECT, WE WILL DEVELOP BIODEGRADABLE MATERIALS WITH ANTIMICROBIAL PROPERTIES THAT WILL BE ENHANCED UPON EXPOSURE TO ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT IN THE A SPECTRUM (UV-A, LONG WAVELENGTH, WHICH IS ABLE TO PENETRATE DEEPER INTO MATERIALS). THESEMATERIALS WILL BE ABLE TO REDUCE THE MICROBIAL POPULATION OF LIQUID AND SOLID FOODS IN CONTACT WITH THEM WHEN EXPOSED TO UV-A LIGHT.WE ANTICIPATE THAT THIS APPROACH COMBINED WITH THE SHORT APPLICATION OF OTHER HURDLES SUCH AS MILD HEAT, UV-C LIGHT (SHORTER WAVELENGHT AND SHORTER PENETRATION, BUT MORE ANTIMICROBIAL POWER THAN UV-C), AND COLD STORAGE WILL RESULT IN FINAL PRODUCTS SAFE FOR CONSUMPTION, WITH HIGH QUALITY ATTRIBUTES, AND WHICH PRODUCTION PROCESS IS SUSTAINABLE AND FRIENDLY WITH THE ENVIRONMENT.