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Researchers from the University of Reading and the Animal and Plant Health Agency report that violet-blue photodynamic inactivation killed all 64 Campylobacter strains tested. The contact-free method uses no added chemicals, but further trials are needed to establish how well it works on chicken and under practical food-processing conditions.
Researchers from the University of Reading and the Animal and Plant Health Agency found that a violet-blue light treatment killed all 64 Campylobacter strains tested, including strains with different species and antibiotic-resistance profiles. The technique, called violet-blue photodynamic inactivation (VB-PDI), does not require physical contact with food or added chemicals, but the researchers say more trials are needed before its potential use on chicken is established.
The study tested VB-PDI against 64 different Campylobacter strains. According to the report, every strain was killed by the treatment, regardless of its species or antibiotic-resistance profile. That result suggests the approach may act across a varied set of the bacteria, though it does not establish how the method would perform across all Campylobacter strains or food-production settings.
The technique uses violet-blue light and is described as not requiring direct physical contact with food or the addition of chemicals. Those features could make it worth further investigation as a way to reduce contamination on chicken. The report does not provide enough detail to establish the light-treatment conditions, such as the dose or exposure time, or to assess how it would affect food quality and production processes.
The researchers’ findings were reported as showing promise, not proven commercial effectiveness. The study report says more trials are needed. In particular, the strain-killing result should not be treated as proof that VB-PDI can prevent human infections or reliably control Campylobacter on chicken at scale.
Potential to Reduce Chicken Contamination
Campylobacter is a major food-safety concern because it is the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, according to the source report. A technique that could reduce the bacteria on chicken might add another possible control measure, especially if it can be used without applying chemicals or physically contacting the food. The current findings, however, concern a laboratory test of bacterial strains; they do not show a measured reduction in illness among consumers.
The report says the bacteria is killed by cooking, while cross-contamination during handling of raw meat is thought to be a major route of infection. Any eventual use of light treatment would therefore need to be considered alongside safe handling and cooking, rather than as a replacement for them. The study’s broad strain result gives researchers a reason to continue testing, but consumers should not infer that treated chicken is risk-free.
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UK Cases and Raw Chicken Risks
The source report identifies Campylobacter as the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. It says there were 70,000 laboratory-confirmed cases in the UK across 2024 and 2025. That figure is reported for the two-year period; the report does not give an annual breakdown or compare it with a prior period.
Although cooking kills Campylobacter, the report describes cross-contamination from handling raw meat as a major suspected route of infection. The proposed light method is being explored as a possible way to reduce bacteria on chicken before it reaches consumers. The information provided does not say that VB-PDI is currently used in food production or approved as a food-safety intervention.
““The use of blue light to reduce Campylobacter on chicken is a promising option but more trials are needed.””
— Food Safety News report on the study
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Questions Before Food-Plant Use
The reported findings do not establish how well VB-PDI reduces Campylobacter on actual chicken products, how long treatment would take, or what light dose and operating conditions would be needed. The source material also gives no results on the method’s effect on food quality, performance at commercial scale, or cost. Those details matter when moving from tests of bacterial strains toward a possible food-processing application.
It is also not clear from the report how many trials have been completed beyond the strain testing, what specific follow-up studies are planned, or whether the method has undergone regulatory review. The result that all 64 tested strains were killed applies to those strains and test conditions; it does not establish that the technique will eliminate every Campylobacter strain in routine use or prevent infections.
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Further Trials on Chicken
The researchers say more trials are needed before the light technique’s promise can be assessed further. The next useful evidence would show whether VB-PDI works on chicken under realistic treatment and handling conditions, and whether its effects can be maintained in a food-production setting.
Until such findings are reported, the technique should be regarded as a research-stage possibility rather than an established control measure. The study report does not provide a timetable for further trials or say when results from any follow-up work may be available. Safe handling of raw chicken and thorough cooking remain relevant precautions.
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Key Questions
What is violet-blue photodynamic inactivation?
Violet-blue photodynamic inactivation (VB-PDI) is the light-based method tested by the researchers against Campylobacter strains. The report says it does not require physical contact with food or added chemicals, but does not give technical details such as the light dose or exposure time.
What did the study find?
The researchers tested the technique on 64 Campylobacter strains and reported that all were killed, regardless of species or antibiotic-resistance profile. The result does not by itself show how well the treatment works on chicken in commercial conditions.
Is the method ready to be used on chicken sold to consumers?
The report does not establish that VB-PDI is in routine food production or approved for use. It says the method is promising but that more trials are needed.
Does the light treatment mean chicken no longer needs to be cooked safely?
No. The report says Campylobacter is killed by cooking and identifies cross-contamination from raw meat handling as a suspected major infection route. The study does not show that light treatment removes the need for safe handling and thorough cooking.
Source: rss
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