** 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 PROPOSED WORK SEEKS TO ADVANCE FROZEN FOOD MANUFACTURING COMPETITIVENESS TO ENSURE A MORE SUSTAINABLE, RESILIENT, AND NUTRITIOUS FOOD SUPPLY. GLOBAL TRADE OF MOST MEAT PRODUCTS IS DISTRIBUTED IN THE FROZEN STATE, AND THE U.S. EXPORTED $25.37 OF BEEF, PORK, AND POULTRY PRODUCTS IN 2022. THE FREEZING PROCESS OF MEAT PRODUCTS CHANGES THEIR STRUCTURE, TEXTURE, AND WATER-HOLDING CAPACITY, NEGATIVELY AFFECTING THE PRODUCT'S QUALITY AND DESIRABILITY.UNDERSTANDING AND CONTROLLING THE FREEZING, STORAGE, AND THAWING PROCESSES IN FROZEN MEATS IS ESSENTIAL TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THESE PRODUCTS. CRYOPROTECTANTS (SUCH AS CARBOHYDRATES, PROTEINS AND OTHER BIOCOMPATIBLE COMPOUNDS) CAN BE USED TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF FROZEN MEATS. HOWEVER, POOR UNDERSTANDING OF THE FREEZING PROCESS THAT OCCURS DURING THE MANUFACTURING OF FROZEN MEAT PRODUCTS, AND DURING THE STORAGE OF THESE PRODUCTS HAS HINDERED QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS. THIS PROJECT WILL MEASURE, QUANTIFY AND EXPLAIN THE TWO MAIN STEPS THAT DRIVE THE FREEZING PROCESS OF BEEF PRODUCTS; 1) THE FORMATION OF ICE (TERMED ICE NUCLEATION), FOLLOWED BY 2) THE GROWTH OF ICE CRYSTALS. DURING STORAGE OF FROZEN BEEF, THE SIZE OF ICE CRYSTALS CHANGES, WHICH LEADS TO DAMAGE TO THE PRODUCT. THIS PROCESS IS TERMED ICE RECRYSTALLIZATION, AND MOLECULAR BIOAGENTS THAT MINIMIZE THE DAMAGE ARE CURRENTLY BEING DEVELOPED AND TESTED. HOWEVER, THE MECHANISMS THROUGH WHICH CRYOPROTECTANTS OPERATE IN SOLID FOOD PRODUCTS ARE POORLY UNDERSTOOD. CURRENT ANALYTICAL METHODS ARE INSUFFICIENT TO FULLY UNDERSTAND THE FREEZING PROCESS IN FROZEN MEATS, RESULTING IN INFLUENCES ON PRODUCT QUALITY.OUR TEAM'S STRATEGY IS TWO-FOLD: 1) USING STATE-OF-THE-ART INFRA-RED THERMAL IMAGING AND COLD STAGES, WE WILL MEASURE FREEZING RATES INSIDE BEEF PRODUCTS UNDER DIFFERENT MANUFACTURING CONDITIONS. THE EFFECT OF VARIOUS CRYOPROTECTANTS ON THE FREEZING RATES WILL BE MEASURED AND WE WILL RANK THESE COMPOUNDS BASED ON THEIR ABILITY TO CONTROL AND LIMIT ICE GROWTH RATES. 2) ICE RECRYSTALLIZATION RATES AND THE POST-THAWED PRODUCTS' PHYSICOCHEMICAL, QUALITY, AND SENSORY PROPERTIES WILL ALSO BE ANALYZED IN PARALLEL.THIS WORK ALLOWS US TO BRIDGE KNOWLEDGE GAPS IN UNDERSTANDING THE LINK BETWEEN THE FUNDAMENTALS OF ICE CRYSTALLIZATION AND FROZEN BEEF'S QUALITY. THE KNOWLEDGE GAINED IS VITAL FOR THE EVENTUAL COMMERCIALIZATION OF NOVEL FREEZING TECHNOLOGIES AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL INGREDIENTS (CRYOPROTECTANTS) THAT CAN MODULATE ICE FORMATION AND ITS GROWTH, WHICH WILL LEAD TO THE QUALITY IMPROVEMENT OF FROZEN MEATS.