A mixture of proteins, available as GRAS (generally regarded as safe) foodstuffs, has been identified for a variety of uses in UV-curable coatings. For example, the protein mixture may be used with a water carrier as a self-photoinitiating film former. Other GRAS additives may be used to resist oil or grease. The mixture may also be used as a pigment extender, which also aids in cure, or as a photoinitiator or co-initiator with more conventional UV-curable components. This article describes some of the early research using this new technology.