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M. CURIALE, Silliker Laboratories Research Group, South Holland, IL

Food losses are one of society's last remaining problems to solve. Given that quantitative data is hard to obtain, they receive limited academic, scientific, industrial, and political attention. Yet, most countries of the world cannot afford them. Technologies associated with chilled foods are inherent reducers of food losses. This presentation gives specific examples and demonstrates how chilled foods are extending our global food supply. For example, one U.S. company makes potato salad with a shelf-life of 55 days. Research procedures for identifying the magnitudes of food losses will be reviewed, as will those for reducing them. Given the inherent benefits of reducing food losses as the population increases, globality will be emphasized. U.S. resources make us a natural leader in this vital area.