The article highlighted scientific developments for the Millennium. The technology involves using electron beam accelerators, which emit a beam of high-speed electrons. E-beam accelerators rely on electricity, not radioactivity, and are already used extensively to disinfect medical instruments and supplies. A power source pumps 500,000 volts of electricity into a cathode ray tube, where an electromagnet forms the resulting electrons into a beam that passes through a vacuum to keep them in a straight line. A scanner directs the beam at food on a conveyor belt passing beneath it.
Shielding surrounds the machine to protect workers.
The electron beam disrupts bacteria's DNA, thereby killing them in a fraction of a second. They can prevent mold from growing on baked goods and pasteurize fruit juices without changing their taste. At present, the E-beam is effective only on food of uniform shape, size and thickness, such as frozen hamburger patties or packaged lunch meat. Unkelsbay explains that the uniformity allows even distribution of the beam. In December, the USDA approved E-beam use for pasteurizing meat products.