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Researchers from the University of Reading and the UK Animal and Plant Health Agency tested violet-blue photodynamic inactivation against 64 Campylobacter strains. The treatment killed every strain in the study, but the researchers say more trials are needed to assess its potential for reducing contamination on chicken.
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, a result they say merits further trials as a possible way to reduce the bacteria on chicken. The method uses light without physically contacting the food or adding chemicals, but its effectiveness in practical chicken-processing conditions has not been established by the information reported.
The researchers tested a technique called violet-blue photodynamic inactivation, or VB-PDI, against 64 different Campylobacter strains. According to the study findings summarized by Food Safety News, every strain was killed by the treatment, regardless of species or antibiotic-resistance profile. The report does not provide the treatment duration, light dose, or individual results for each strain.
The researchers described the approach as a promising option for reducing Campylobacter on chicken, while stressing that more trials are needed. The reported findings indicate that the method did not require direct physical contact with the food or added chemicals. They do not establish how well the technique would work at commercial scale, or whether it would reduce contamination on chicken under routine processing and storage conditions.
The study was conducted by scientists from the University of Reading and the Animal and Plant Health Agency. Food Safety News reported the findings on October 9, 2026. The available report does not name a journal or provide details about the experimental setup beyond the number and range of strains tested.
A Possible Addition to Chicken Safety
Campylobacter is described in the report as the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. In the UK, there were 70,000 laboratory-confirmed cases in 2024 and 2025, according to the figures cited by Food Safety News. The report does not specify whether that number is a combined total for the two years or provide a year-by-year breakdown.
Chicken safety matters because contamination can pose a risk not only when meat is undercooked but also through cross-contamination while raw meat is handled. Cooking kills Campylobacter, but bacteria can spread from raw chicken to hands, utensils, or other foods before cooking. A treatment that could reliably reduce contamination on chicken might add another control point; the current findings, however, do not show that this outcome has been achieved in commercial settings.
The technique’s appeal, as described in the report, is that it uses light without adding chemicals or making physical contact with food. That feature may make it worth testing for food-processing use, but the study’s results alone do not establish safety, cost, operating speed, or effectiveness on whole products. Those questions matter before the method could be considered a practical food-safety measure.
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How Campylobacter Reaches Consumers
Campylobacter is a bacterial pathogen associated with foodborne illness. The report says it is killed by cooking, while identifying cross-contamination during raw-meat handling as a major suspected route of infection. This makes controls before food reaches a consumer relevant, alongside safe handling and thorough cooking.
The new findings concern a laboratory test of 64 strains, not a documented change to food-safety rules or processing practice. The report gives no indication that VB-PDI is currently used commercially, approved as a control measure, or recommended to replace existing precautions. Its potential remains under study.
“Every strain was killed by the treatment, regardless of species or antibiotic resistance profile.”
— The study findings, as reported by Food Safety News
Questions Before Processing Trials
The available report does not state the light dose, exposure time, or detailed test conditions, making it difficult to judge how the laboratory results might translate to chicken products. It also does not report trials on commercially processed chicken, outcomes during storage, or whether treatment affects food quality.
It remains unclear what further trials are planned, how they will measure effectiveness, and whether the technique can be applied consistently at production scale. The findings do not show that VB-PDI prevents human infections, nor do they establish that it can replace existing controls such as avoiding cross-contamination and cooking chicken thoroughly.
Further Trials Will Test Practical Use
Researchers say more trials are needed before blue-light treatment can be assessed as a practical way to reduce Campylobacter on chicken. The report does not give a timetable or describe the next study. Further testing would need to clarify performance on food under relevant processing conditions and whether the treatment can be applied reliably.
Until those results are available, the reported finding is evidence of activity against the tested strains, not a change in food-safety advice. Consumers should continue to prevent raw chicken from contaminating other foods and surfaces and cook chicken thoroughly.
Key Questions
What is violet-blue photodynamic inactivation?
VB-PDI is the light-based treatment tested by the researchers against Campylobacter. The report says it works without physically contacting the food or adding chemicals, but does not explain the treatment’s full operating details.
How many Campylobacter strains were tested?
The researchers tested 64 different strains. The report says the treatment killed all of them, regardless of species or antibiotic-resistance profile.
Does this mean chicken treated with blue light is available?
No such commercial use is reported. The findings are described as promising, and researchers say more trials are needed before the method’s practical use can be assessed.
Does the study change how chicken should be handled or cooked?
No. The report says Campylobacter is killed by cooking and identifies cross-contamination from raw meat as a major suspected route of infection. The light-treatment findings do not replace safe handling or thorough cooking.
Source: rss
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