Could light stop most common food poisoning cause?

A blue light could significantly reduce the amount of food poisoning caused by raw chicken, scientists have found.

The University of Reading research found shining violet-blue light onto campylobacter, the most common global cause of bacterial food poisoning, killed all 64 strains tested in a lab.

Campylobacter, which can cause stomach cramps and bloody diarrhoea, is found in about three quarters of raw chicken sold in the UK.

Researchers said trials on naturally contaminated carcasses were needed before the technology could be used commercially.

The illness caused by campylobacter has been estimated to cost £700m a year in healthcare and lost productivity.

The study, carried out with the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) and published in the journal Microbiology, used strains taken directly from UK poultry, including some resistant to antibiotics.

Lead author Dr Aidan Taylor said: "What's exciting about this light-based approach is that it doesn't rely on chemicals or antibiotics at all, so it sidesteps the resistance problem entirely."

While cooking kills campylobacter, cross-contamination from handling raw meat is thought to be the main way people are infected.

The light does not need to touch the food and uses no chemicals, meaning it could be used on carcasses in processing plants before chicken reaches shops.

The researchers estimate cutting contamination 100-fold could reduce the share of highly contaminated carcasses reaching shops from about one in 10 to one in 50.

Antibiotic-resistant strains were killed as effectively as others, and one strain showed no sign of building up tolerance after being exposed to the light 15 times in a row.

Dr Samuel Connelly, from APHA, who co-led the research, said the results were "highly encouraging" but further testing on contaminated meat was needed.