TL;DR
Get baking supplies delivered free with Prime
- Fast, free delivery on millions of items
- Prime Video, Amazon Music and more included
- Member-only deals all year
Researchers from the University of Reading and the Animal and Plant Health Agency tested violet-blue photodynamic inactivation against 64 Campylobacter strains. The study reported that treatment killed every strain tested, but further trials are needed to establish how well it works on chicken and under practical conditions.
Researchers from the University of Reading and the Animal and Plant Health Agency report that a violet-blue light treatment killed all 64 Campylobacter strains tested, including strains with different antibiotic resistance profiles. The result points to a possible way to reduce the foodborne bacterium on chicken without direct contact or added chemicals, but the researchers say more trials are needed before its effectiveness in food-processing conditions is established.
The technique, called violet-blue photodynamic inactivation (VB-PDI), was tested against 64 different strains of Campylobacter. According to the study findings reported by Food Safety News, every strain was killed by treatment, regardless of species or antibiotic resistance profile. The supplied report does not state the treatment duration, light intensity or reduction levels for individual strains.
The method is described as not requiring physical contact with the food or the addition of chemicals. That may make it worth investigating as a possible way to treat chicken, but the reported laboratory result does not establish that the method is ready for commercial use or that it will perform equally well across different products and processing conditions.
Food Safety News reported that the study’s researchers regard the approach as promising while calling for additional trials. The account does not provide details of those proposed trials, such as whether they would test treatment on chicken samples, assess effects on food quality or examine how long any reduction in bacteria lasts.
Potential to Reduce Chicken Contamination
Campylobacter is identified in the report as the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Reducing its presence on chicken could help address a food-safety risk, particularly because contamination can spread during preparation before the meat is cooked.
The reported finding is relevant because the treatment was tested across strains that differed in species and antibiotic resistance profile. However, killing the strains in the study is not the same as showing a reduction in human illness. The report supplies no evidence that the method has been used in food production, has prevented infections or has been approved for routine use.
Chicken is killed of Campylobacter by proper cooking, according to the report, but handling raw meat can spread bacteria to hands, utensils and other foods. If further testing shows VB-PDI can reliably reduce contamination before chicken reaches kitchens, it could become one element of food-safety controls. That possibility remains conditional on evidence from additional trials.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Why Raw Chicken Is a Concern
The report says that cooking kills Campylobacter, while cross-contamination during handling of raw meat is thought to be a major route of infection. This means risks can arise during preparation as well as from meat that is not adequately cooked. A treatment applied before retail or preparation could be relevant to reducing bacteria on the product, but the supplied account does not confirm that VB-PDI has been tested at those stages.
Food Safety News reports 70,000 laboratory-confirmed cases in the UK across 2024 and 2025. That figure covers the two years together; the source does not provide a yearly breakdown or say how many cases were linked to chicken. It gives a measure of the reported public-health burden, not an estimate of the number of illnesses the light technique could prevent.
The study involved scientists from the University of Reading and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Its reported test of multiple strains provides an initial indication that the approach was not limited to a single strain. The source material does not include the full study design or enough technical detail to assess how the laboratory conditions compare with food processing.
“Every strain was killed by the treatment, regardless of species or antibiotic resistance profile.”
— Study findings as reported by Food Safety News
campylobacter reduction chicken treatment
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Evidence Needed Beyond Strain Tests
The available report does not say whether the 64 strains were tested on chicken itself or under conditions designed to represent commercial processing. It also does not provide measurements of how much bacterial contamination was reduced, how long treatment took, or whether light exposure affects the appearance, texture or other qualities of the food.
It remains unclear what equipment and operating conditions would be required, whether the method would work consistently on different chicken products, and how it would fit alongside existing food-safety controls. The source does not describe regulatory review, commercial adoption or trials involving consumers. The finding is therefore an early research result, not evidence that treated chicken is already available or that normal handling and cooking precautions can be relaxed.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Further Trials Must Test Practical Use
The researchers say more trials are needed, according to Food Safety News. The next evidence needed is whether VB-PDI can reduce Campylobacter on chicken itself and retain that effect across realistic treatment and handling conditions. The supplied report does not give a timetable or describe a specific next trial.
Further work would also need to clarify treatment settings, consistency across products and any effects on food quality before the technique’s practical value could be assessed. Until results from such testing are available, the reported finding should be understood as a promising laboratory result. Consumers should continue to follow safe raw-meat handling practices and cook chicken thoroughly.
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
Key Questions
What is violet-blue photodynamic inactivation?
Violet-blue photodynamic inactivation, or VB-PDI, is the light-based technique tested against Campylobacter in the study. The report says it does not require physical contact with food or added chemicals, but does not give further technical details.
How many Campylobacter strains were tested?
The researchers tested 64 strains. Food Safety News reports that the treatment killed all of them, across different species and antibiotic resistance profiles.
Does the result mean chicken treated with the light is on sale?
No such commercial use is confirmed in the supplied report. It describes study findings and says more trials are needed to assess the technique.
Can consumers stop taking precautions with raw chicken?
No. The report does not say the method is available for consumers or that it replaces safe handling and thorough cooking. It says cooking kills Campylobacter and identifies cross-contamination from raw meat as a major possible route of infection.
How many laboratory-confirmed UK cases were reported?
Food Safety News reports 70,000 laboratory-confirmed cases across 2024 and 2025. The source does not provide a year-by-year breakdown or say how many cases were linked to chicken.
Source: rss
Halloween Picks
halloween
As an affiliate, we earn on qualifying purchases.
