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Researchers from the University of Reading and the Animal and Plant Health Agency reported that violet-blue photodynamic inactivation killed all 64 Campylobacter strains tested. The contact-free technique uses no added chemicals, but its effectiveness and practical use on chicken still require more trials.
Researchers from the University of Reading and the Animal and Plant Health Agency found that a violet-blue light technique killed all 64 Campylobacter strains tested, a result that could inform efforts to reduce the bacteria on chicken. The study describes the method as promising, but says more trials are needed before its effectiveness and practical use can be established.
The researchers tested a method known as violet-blue photodynamic inactivation, or VB-PDI, against 64 different strains of Campylobacter. According to the study findings reported by Food Safety News, the treatment killed every strain in the test, regardless of species or antibiotic resistance profile.
The approach uses light and does not require physical contact with the food or the addition of chemicals, according to the report. That makes it a potential way to treat food without directly applying a chemical agent. The available information does not specify the test conditions, treatment duration, degree of bacterial reduction, or how the method performed on commercially processed chicken.
The findings support further investigation rather than a conclusion that the technique is ready for routine use. The report characterizes the approach as a promising option for reducing Campylobacter on chicken, while stressing that additional trials remain necessary.
Reducing Campylobacter on Chicken
Campylobacter is a major food-safety concern because it is the most common cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide, according to the report. In the UK, there were 70,000 laboratory-confirmed cases in 2024 and 2025. The figure covers those two years together; the report does not give a year-by-year breakdown or a comparison with earlier periods.
Chicken is relevant to prevention because Campylobacter is killed by cooking, but infection can occur through cross-contamination while handling raw meat. A treatment that reduced bacteria on chicken before it reaches kitchens could potentially address one point in that chain. The study’s results do not show that VB-PDI prevents illness or replaces safe food handling and thorough cooking.
The method’s lack of contact with food and added chemicals may make it worth testing as a possible processing option. Whether it can work reliably at scale, under real food-production conditions, and without affecting product quality is not established in the information provided.
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From Laboratory Results to Food Processing
The reported work focuses on a specific light-based treatment tested against a range of Campylobacter strains. Testing 64 strains, including strains with different antibiotic resistance profiles, gives the result broader scope than a test on a single strain. It does not, on its own, establish that the same outcome will occur on chicken under commercial processing conditions.
The findings were reported by Food Safety News on October 9, 2026. Its account says the researchers regard blue light as a possible means of reducing Campylobacter on chicken but call for more trials. The supplied report does not identify a journal, publication date for the original research, funding source, or detailed experimental methods, so those points cannot be assessed from the available material.
For consumers, the immediate guidance remains unchanged in the report: cooking kills Campylobacter, while raw-meat handling can spread contamination. The study describes research into an additional possible control step, not a change to household food-safety advice.
“The use of blue light to reduce Campylobacter on chicken is a promising option but more trials are needed.”
— Food Safety News, reporting the study findings
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Questions Before Chicken Trials
The report does not provide enough detail to determine how the tests were conducted, how quickly the treatment worked, or the amount of bacteria present before and after exposure. It also does not state whether researchers tested the technique on chicken itself or only on bacterial strains in experimental conditions.
Further work is needed to establish whether the results hold across different chicken products and processing environments, and whether treatment can be applied consistently at a useful scale. The available account also does not specify what further trials are planned, when they may take place, or whether the technique affects the food’s appearance, taste, or shelf life.
The finding that every tested strain was killed is a result from the strains included in this study. It does not establish that VB-PDI will eliminate all Campylobacter in every setting or prevent foodborne illness. Until more evidence is available, the practical impact remains uncertain.
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Further Trials Must Test Practical Use
The next step is further testing, which the report says is needed before the technique’s promise can be judged. Trials would need to clarify whether VB-PDI can reduce Campylobacter on chicken in conditions relevant to food production, and how consistently the effect can be achieved.
No trial schedule, planned research milestones, or regulatory decision is provided in the source material. Until those details and stronger real-world evidence are available, the reported result should be treated as an early research finding, not an available food-safety treatment. Consumers should continue to rely on established precautions, including keeping raw chicken separate from ready-to-eat foods and cooking it thoroughly.
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Key Questions
What is violet-blue photodynamic inactivation?
VB-PDI is a light-based treatment tested by researchers against Campylobacter. The report says it does not require direct physical contact with food or added chemicals, but does not give detailed information about how the treatment works.
What did the study find?
The researchers tested 64 Campylobacter strains and reported that the treatment killed all of them, regardless of species or antibiotic resistance profile. More trials are needed to find out whether the result translates to chicken processing.
Does the result mean chicken treated with blue light is available?
The report does not say that the treatment is in commercial use or available to consumers. It presents VB-PDI as a promising option under investigation, with further trials still needed.
How does Campylobacter spread from raw chicken?
Campylobacter is killed by cooking, but the report identifies cross-contamination during raw-meat handling as a major route of infection. Keep raw chicken separate from ready-to-eat food, clean hands and surfaces after handling it, and cook chicken thoroughly.
What remains unknown about the technique?
The available report does not specify whether the tests were carried out on chicken, how the treatment performs in commercial settings, or how long it takes. Its effect on food quality and the timing of further trials are also not reported.
Source: rss
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