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Bacterial death with a light touch

by Trevor Loveday

UK scientists have found that a treatment that deploys visible light to kill bacteria including E coli and Listeria “provides a significant reduction in populations of harmful bacteria.” And the researchers reported that it offers a means to avoid bacterial resistance to chemical treatments.


The technology, developed by Italian company Biovitae, uses light bulbs emitting light in the visible spectrum that are damaging to bacteria. Findings of microbe-killing activity in high-intensity blue light have been reported in the academic literature since the 1990s.


A team of researchers at the University of Birmingham has been working with Biovitae to assess the company’s technology. The study, led by associate professor of food microbiology at the Birmingham Institute of Sustainability and Climate Action, Dr Helen Onyeaka, found that the technology killed bacteria on surfaces including glass and stainless steel. According to the researchers, the findings suggest the light has potential to “offer a non-chemical, sustainable solution for improving food safety and public health”.


University of Birmingham assistant professor of sustainable food processing in chemical engineering, Dr Taghi Miri, said: "This technology not only supports better hygiene practices but also aligns with sustainability goals by offering a non-chemical method to combat pathogens effectively."

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