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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. All were killed in the study, including strains with different species and antibiotic-resistance profiles; further trials are needed to establish its performance on chicken and practical use.
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 that points to a possible way to reduce the bacteria on chicken without touching the food or adding chemicals. The researchers say more trials are needed before its effectiveness and practical use can be established.
The team tested a method known as violet-blue photodynamic inactivation (VB-PDI) against 64 different Campylobacter strains. According to the study findings summarized by Food Safety News, the treatment killed every strain tested, regardless of its species or antibiotic-resistance profile. The source does not report the treatment’s effect on illness rates or say that it has been adopted in food processing.
VB-PDI uses light to target bacteria. The reported method does not require physical contact with food or the addition of chemicals. That could make it a potential option for treating chicken, but a result against bacteria in a study is not by itself evidence that the technique will work reliably across commercial processing conditions.
Researchers described the approach as promising while saying that additional trials are required. The available report does not give details such as the light dose, exposure time, reduction in bacterial numbers, or how the treatment performed on chicken under real-world conditions. Those details matter for judging how useful it could be alongside existing food-safety measures.
A Potential Extra Control on Chicken
Campylobacter is described in the source 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 figures cited by Food Safety News. The source does not specify whether that figure covers the two years combined or gives a separate count for each year.
Chicken is relevant because Campylobacter is killed by cooking, while cross-contamination during handling of raw meat is thought to be a major route of infection. A treatment that reduces contamination before food reaches consumers could, if later trials support its use, add another control point. The study does not establish that VB-PDI prevents infections, nor does it replace safe handling and thorough cooking.
The finding across strains with different resistance profiles is also of interest because it suggests the test result was not limited to one reported resistance group. However, the source provides no breakdown of the strains or data showing how the light treatment compares with other interventions. Its public-health value remains a possibility to test, rather than a demonstrated reduction in disease.
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From Strain Tests to Chicken Trials
The study examined 64 Campylobacter strains and reported that each was killed by VB-PDI. The research was carried out by scientists from the University of Reading and the Animal and Plant Health Agency, according to Food Safety News. The supplied report does not include the study title, publication details, or a link to the underlying research, so further methodological specifics cannot be confirmed from this material.
The distinction between testing strains and testing food is important. The reported result establishes an outcome for the strains under the study’s test conditions; it does not show how evenly light reaches bacteria on the varied surfaces of chicken, or whether the treatment remains effective at processing speeds. The source characterizes the approach as a potential way to reduce Campylobacter on chicken and explicitly says that more trials are needed.
Current safety advice remains relevant: the source says Campylobacter is killed by cooking and identifies handling raw meat as a possible route of cross-contamination. The light method is being considered as a possible additional treatment, not as a reason to change safe handling or cooking practices.
“The technique is a promising option, but more trials are needed.”
— Researchers, as summarized by Food Safety News
Questions Before Food-Plant Use
The report does not provide the light intensity, exposure duration, or measured reduction in bacterial counts. It also does not say whether the tests were conducted on chicken itself, how the treatment performed on different cuts or surfaces, or whether it could be integrated into commercial processing without affecting production.
It remains unclear how the findings would compare with other Campylobacter controls, what scale of additional trials is planned, and whether regulators or food businesses are evaluating the technique. The report also does not show that VB-PDI reduces infections in people. Until those questions are addressed, the finding should be treated as a promising laboratory result, not proof of a ready-to-use food-safety intervention.
Further Trials Will Test Practicality
The next step identified in the report is further testing. Trials would need to establish whether VB-PDI can consistently reduce Campylobacter on chicken under conditions relevant to food production, and to report the treatment settings and bacterial reductions clearly. Results would also need to show whether the method can be used at scale and how it fits with existing safety controls.
The source does not give a timetable for those trials or identify a planned commercial rollout. Until more evidence is available, consumers should continue to follow ordinary precautions: keep raw chicken separate from ready-to-eat foods, clean hands and surfaces after handling it, and cook it thoroughly. The study’s findings mark a research lead; the next evidence must show whether it works on food in practice.
Key Questions
What is violet-blue photodynamic inactivation?
VB-PDI is the light-based technique tested against Campylobacter strains in the study. The report says it does not require physical contact with food or added chemicals, but does not provide technical details about the treatment settings.
What did the researchers find?
The study tested 64 Campylobacter strains and reported that the treatment killed all of them, across different species and antibiotic-resistance profiles. The supplied report does not state the measured reduction in bacterial counts or give the experimental conditions.
Does the finding mean chicken treated with blue light is safe to eat?
No. The report presents the technique as a possible way to reduce Campylobacter and says more trials are needed. It does not establish that treated chicken is free of risk or that the method is in routine use.
Should consumers change how they handle or cook chicken?
No change is supported by this report. Campylobacter is killed by cooking, and the source identifies cross-contamination from raw meat handling as a major possible infection route. Continue to separate raw chicken from ready-to-eat foods, clean hands and surfaces, and cook chicken thoroughly.
Source: rss
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