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                    U.S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
 Food Quality Laboratory: Beltsville, MD
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**Keeping rots at bay: Work by ARS-FQL postharvest pathologists help to reduce apple storage rots, food waste and mycotoxin contamination caused by rot fungi**
 **ARS-FQL plant physiologists have discovered novel growth-regulator like compounds that can regulate fruit ripening, and improve fresh produce shelf life**
 **ARS-FQL food technologists and engineers developed a novel washing system to improve the postharvest quality, sensory attributes and shelf life of fresh-cut vegetables**
 **ARS-FQL scientists have provided diverse research findings on microgreens and baby greens quality and safety to NASA researchers in a NASA-USDA collaboration agreement**


**MISSION** The Food Quality Laboratory conducts research to advance science and technologies for improving production, supply chain logistics, processing, and preservation of fruits, vegetables, and other food crops. The lab works to: • Develop new approaches and optimize processes to reduce food loss and waste, increase food quality and nutrition and enhance circular bioeconomy • Provide new methodologies to assess food quality and abate natural toxin contamination for fruits and vegetables • Determine novel growth and handling conditions for urban, controlled environments and astrological missions.


People Fonseca, Jorge Gaskins, Verneta Jurick, Wayne Luo, Yaguang
                                            *- Sunny* Park, Eunhee Turner, Ellen Yang, Tianbao Zhou, Bin


Northeast Area   jorge.fonseca@usda.gov


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