FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — A food-safety technology that destroys pathogens without cooking meat is moving closer to wider use in poultry processing, after researchers evaluated how electron-beam irradiation affects both microbial safety and the eating quality of ground chicken and turkey. The study, published in Poultry Science, examined whether eBeam treatment could reduce dangerous bacteria while preserving the color, aroma, texture and flavor that determine whether consumers will accept a product. The findings suggest that electron beams may offer a powerful intervention against foodborne illness, but they also show that the treatment must be carefully calibrated and paired with appropriate packaging, particularly for poultry products that are chemically vulnerable to oxidation.
Foodborne illness remains a major public-health challenge in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention typically coordinates between 17 and 36 foodborne-illness investigations each week, and seven major foodborne pathogens were linked to an estimated 53,300 hospitalizations and 931 deaths in 2019. Ground poultry is of particular concern because grinding can distribute bacteria throughout the product rather than leaving contamination only on the surface. Chicken and turkey are also important sources of Salmonella and Campylobacter, two pathogens associated with poultry-related outbreaks and product recalls. Researchers therefore focused on ground poultry as a realistic test case for a non-thermal technology that could be applied before products reach consumers.
Electron-beam treatment works by directing a controlled stream of high-energy electrons into food. The electrons penetrate the product and interact with molecules inside microbial cells. Their energy can directly damage bacterial DNA, preventing the organisms from reproducing, while secondary chemical reactions generate reactive oxygen species that further injure cellular components. Unlike conventional pasteurization, eBeam processing does not rely on heating the meat to a temperature sufficient to kill microorganisms. It is therefore considered a form of “cold pasteurization,” although the treatment can still produce chemical changes in the product. The technology is related to food irradiation using X-rays or gamma rays, but electron beams are generated electrically and can be switched on or off without requiring a radioactive source.
The research team conducted its work at the National Center for Electron Beam Research at Texas A&M University, home to the world’s largest electron-beam irradiator. The facility allowed the scientists to expose packaged ground poultry to carefully measured radiation doses and then assess both pathogen control and meat quality. The research followed earlier work by the same group showing that a dose of 3 kilograys, or kGy, produced a 99.99 percent reduction in Salmonella and Campylobacter in one-pound commercial packages of inoculated ground poultry. A kilogray is a unit measuring the amount of ionizing radiation absorbed by a material. Establishing an effective dose is essential because too little radiation may not provide adequate pathogen control, while too much may damage the product’s sensory properties.
The central quality concern is oxidation. Poultry contains relatively high levels of unsaturated fats, whose chemical structure makes them more reactive than saturated fats. When ionizing radiation interacts with water and oxygen in meat, it can initiate reactions that break down lipids and produce volatile compounds. Some of those compounds are responsible for undesirable odors and flavors. The phenomenon is related to the “warmed-over flavor” that can develop in cooked poultry after refrigeration, when mild oxidation alters the taste and aroma of the meat. At higher levels, oxidation can make meat noticeably rancid or otherwise unacceptable, while also affecting its color. Casey Owens, a professor and meat scientist with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, said meat-quality testing is therefore indispensable when evaluating eBeam treatment.
The study found that the effects of electron beams differed between turkey and chicken. Turkey samples were packaged under modified atmosphere packaging, or MAP, a system in which the proportions of oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen are adjusted to slow chemical deterioration. Under those conditions, the researchers reported that turkey maintained its quality while the treatment inactivated the targeted pathogens. The packaging environment appears to have limited the oxygen available for oxidation, helping preserve the sensory characteristics of the meat. This result is significant because it suggests that irradiation cannot be evaluated independently from packaging. The same radiation dose may have different consequences depending on the amount of oxygen surrounding the product, the product’s fat composition and its storage conditions.
Chicken meat presented a more complicated outcome. Although the treatment was effective for microbial control, the researchers detected an off-note in chicken samples that was not observed in the turkey prepared under modified atmosphere conditions. The difference may reflect variations in fat composition, muscle chemistry, packaging atmosphere or the way volatile oxidation products formed during treatment and storage. Such differences are important for commercial food processing because a technology that dramatically lowers pathogen levels will not be adopted widely if consumers reject the treated food because of its smell or flavor. The results do not indicate that eBeam makes poultry unsafe; rather, they demonstrate that food manufacturers must optimize dose, temperature, packaging and storage together instead of treating irradiation as a single, universal solution.
Ionizing radiation has already been used commercially to extend shelf life and control pathogens in selected foods. Irradiated fruits and spices are available in grocery stores, and some companies use irradiation to pasteurize beef products. X-rays, gamma rays and electron beams have been used for decades in fresh, frozen and refrigerated foods. Poultry, however, has seen less adoption, partly because the industry still needs more data showing that microbial benefits can be achieved without unacceptable quality changes. The new study contributes to that evidence by examining sensory attributes and meat chemistry alongside pathogen reduction. Its findings support eBeam as a promising intervention, while underscoring the need for product-specific processing standards and transparent communication with consumers.
Researchers emphasize that electron-beam treatment would not replace hygienic slaughter, cold-chain management or safe handling and cooking by consumers. It would function as an additional control step designed to reduce the number of viable pathogens entering the marketplace. Because the technology damages microbial DNA rather than making food radioactive, treated meat does not become radioactive after exposure to an electrically generated electron beam. Nevertheless, regulatory approval, accurate dose monitoring and clear labeling remain essential for commercial deployment. Food scientists must also continue studying how treatment affects nutrients, storage stability and sensory quality over the full shelf life of the product, not only immediately after irradiation.
The University of Arkansas study was a collaboration involving the university’s departments of poultry science and food science, the Center for Food Safety, the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service and Texas A&M University’s National Center for Electron Beam Research. The authors describe eBeam treatment as a promising way to improve the microbial safety of ground poultry while minimizing the heat-related changes associated with conventional processing. The next phase of research will likely focus on refining radiation doses, improving packaging atmospheres and determining why chicken appears more susceptible than turkey to undesirable sensory changes. If those challenges can be resolved, electron beams could become an important tool in the effort to make poultry safer without sacrificing the qualities consumers expect from fresh meat.
Subject of Research: Cells
Article Title: Impact of Electron Beam (eBeam) Treatment on Meat Quality and Sensory Attributes of Ground Chicken and Turkey
News Publication Date: 3-Aug-2026
Web References: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2026.107037; https://ebeam-ncebr.org/onehealth-initiative; https://www.cdc.gov/foodborne-outbreaks/outbreaks/index.html; https://www.cdc.gov/food-safety/php/data-research/foodborne-illness-burden/index.html
References: Poultry Science, DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2026.107037
Image Credits: UADA photo
Keywords: Electron beam irradiation, eBeam, food safety, poultry, ground chicken, ground turkey, Salmonella, Campylobacter, foodborne illness, meat quality, oxidation, modified atmosphere packaging, cold pasteurization, food microbiology, radiation processing
Tags: advancements in pathogen inactivation technologycalibration and packaging considerations for electron-beam treatmenteffects of eBeam treatment on meat qualityelectron-beam irradiation for pathogen reductionfoodborne pathogens in poultrymicrobial DNA detection in food safetynon-thermal food sterilization methodsoxidation challenges in poultry packagingpoultry processing food safetypreserving meat sensory qualities during microbial interventionpublic health impact of food irradiationreducing Salmonella and Campylobacter in ground chicken and turkey
