Investigation of the Effect of Ultraviolet Light Treatment on <i>Enterobacterales</i> and <i>Salmonella</i> spp. in Raw Chicken Products

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of UV-C light (254-nm wavelength, minimum intensity 0.573 mW/cm²) on the presence of Salmonella spp. and the counts of Enterobacterales in various raw chicken parts. Salmonella spp. was initially detected in 16 out of 20 samples. Following UV-C treatment, the prevalence of Salmonella spp. positive samples progressively decreased with 13 positive samples remaining after 3 h and further reduction to seven samples after 6 h of exposure. Complete inactivation of Salmonella spp. was observed following after 9, 12, and 24 h of UV-C application, ensuring microbiological safety in accordance with food safety standards. Additionally, Enterobacterales counts also showed significant reductions, particularly between 6 and 12 h of UV-C treatment. These findings highlight UV-C light as a promising intervention for mitigating foodborne pathogens in poultry products, with potential for practical applications in food safety systems. Further research with a larger number of samples is recommended to optimize UV-C treatment for controlling foodborne pathogens in poultry food products.