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Vital Essentials

E-Beam Technology & Research

RAW NUTRITION SHOULDN’T REQUIRE COMPROMISE

At Vital Essentials, the safety of your pet and your family is our top priority.

Because our products are raw and never cooked, they require a different way to reduce harmful pathogens. That's why the final step in our product safety process is E-Beam Technology. E-Beam, short for electron beam, is a type of FDA-approved food irradiation.

What E-Beam Is

A beam of electrons aimed at sealed packages of food to inactivate pathogens

FDA-approved food safety process used in hundreds of human food and pet food items ranging from seafood to spices

A specific type of radiating energy, different from X-Ray or Gamma rays (both common in food and medicine)

What E-Beam Isn't

A cooking process - the food is still truly raw

A new or untested technology - it's been FDA-approved for over 40 years

Not an uncommon pathogen mitigation step. E-Beam is widely accepted and used in over 60 countries worldwide

HOW E-BEAM WORKS

ACADEMIC RESEARCH ON E-BEAM TECHNOLOGY

Since the FDA’s first approval of E-Beam Technology for use in human foods in 19831 , a large body of continued research has proven its safety and efficacy in human food and pet food applications. Countless studies have shown successful elimination of harmful pathogens like Salmonella, E. coli, and Listeria monocytogenes in foods, in turn reducing the risk of foodborne illness2,3,4,5,6. The effects of E-Beam on the taste, texture, and nutrition of food are documented to be minimal3,7,8,9,10 , especially at low "doses" such as those used for Vital Essentials pet food. Additionally, joint expert committees of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) of the United Nations have reviewed substantial research into the safety and wholesomeness of foods treated by irradiation and have concluded that there is no enhanced risk involved with this safety process11.

To take a step further and lead the charge in raw pet food safety, Vital Essentials commissioned a first-of-its-kind raw pet food study to validate the effectiveness of E-Beam on our own products. This research confirmed superior pathogen reduction rates and revealed that the food maintains nutritional integrity. While it is currently in peer review, and we look forward to sharing further detail on the findings once it is published.

1.Doris Stanley, “BACKGROUNDER: Food Irradiation,” USDA Agricultural Research Service, December 10, 1997, https://www.ars.usda.gov/news-events/news/research-news/1997/backgrounder-food-irradiation/.
2.Seul-Gi Jeong and Dong-Hyun Kang, “Inactivation of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Bake Cookie Dough by Gamma and Electron Beam Irradiation,” Food Microbiology 64 (June 2017): 172- 178, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fm.2016.12.017.
3.Mitos Tolentino, Gilberto Diano, Gina Abrera, Djowel Recto Montefalcon, Ma Lucia Cobar, Custer Deocaris, Andrea Baule, and Celia Asaad, “Electron Beam Irradiation of Raw Ground Beef Patties in the Philippines: Microbial Quality, Sensory Characteristics, and Cost-Analysis,” Radiation Physics and Chemistry 186 (September 2021): 109536, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radphyschem.2021.109536.
4.Feifei Shi, Hongwei Zhao, Li Wang, Xiaorui Cui, Weiling Guo, Weidong Zhang, Hongbo Song, and Shurong Li, “Inactivation Mechanisms of Electron Beam Irradiation on Listeria innocua through the Integrity of Cell Membrane, Genomic DNA and Protein Structures,” International Journal of Food Science & Technology 54, no. 5 (May 2019): 1804-1815, https://doi.org/10.1111/ijfs.14081.
5.Zonghong Luo, Guanhong Chang, Yang Liu, Ke Ni, Ting Zhou, Xin Lv, Jiangtao Yu, Junqing Bai, and Xin Wang, “Inactivation of Suspended Cells and Biofilms of the Gram-Negative Bacteria by Electron Beam Irradiation and Possible Mechanisms of Action,” LWT 176 (2023): 114171, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lwt.2022.114171.
6.Cambero MI, Cabeza MC, Escudero R, et al. “Sanitation of Selected Ready-to-Eat Intermediate-Moisture Foods of Animal Origin by E-Beam Irradiation,” Foodborne Pathogens and Disease. 2012;9(7):594-599. https://doi.org/10.1089/fpd.2011.1111.  
7.Teguh Wahyono, Tri Ujilestari, Mohammad Miftakhus Sholikin, Muhlisin Muhlisin, Muhammad Cahyadi, Slamet Diah Volkandari, and Endy Triyannanto, “Quality of Pork after Electron-Beam Irradiation: A Meta-Analysis Study,” Veterinary World 17, no. 1 (January 2024): 59-71, https://doi.org/10.14202/vetworld.2024.59-71.
8.Huilin Yu, Junhui Zhang, Honghao Li, Yan Zhao, Shengyao Xia, Yang Qiu, and Jiajin Zhu, “Effects of E-Beam Irradiation on the Physicochemical Properties of Atlantic Cod (Gadus morhua),” Food Bioscience 50, pt. A (December 2022): 101803, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2022.101803.  
9.Yan Zhao, Huilin Yu, Honghao Li, Yang Qiu, Shengyao Xia, Jie Zhang, and Jiajin Zhu, “Effect of E-Beam Irradiation on the Qualitative Attributes of Shrimp (Penaeus vannamei),” Food Bioscience 52 (April 2023): 102350, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2023.102350.
10. Muhammad Sajid Arshad, Kashif Ameer, Rabia Shabir Ahmad, Sheraz Ahmad, Joong-Ho Kwon, and Yunhee Jo, “Influence of EBeam Irradiation on Microbiological and Physicochemical Properties and Fatty Acid Profile of Frozen Duck Meat,” Food Science & Nutrition 8, no. 2 (2020): 1020-1029, https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.1386.
11.Diehl, J.F. Safety of Irradiated Foods, Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1995, pp 283-289.

The Vital Essentials Promise

Industry-Leading Safety is just one of the four pillars of the Vital Essentials Promise. E-Beam Technology is how we deliver on that commitment to you and your family.

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