Method and system for reducing microbial burden on a food product

A method of treating a food product to reduce microbial burden, comprising:

• providing food product in the form of pork, fresh vegetables, fruit, fresh red meat, frozen red meat, fresh poultry, frozen poultry, eggs in their shell, or mixture thereof;
• contacting the food product with an antimicrobial agent, the antimicrobial agent comprising peroxycarboxylic acid, fatty acid, halogen containing antimicrobial agent, quaternary ammonium antimicrobial agent, peroxide, condensed phosphate, or mixtures thereof;
• and
• (i) irradiating the food product with 0.05 kGy to about 0.5 kGy, wherein the food product is at least one of pork, fresh vegetables, fruit, fresh red meat, or frozen red meat;
• or
• (ii) irradiating the food product with 0.15 kGy to about 0.3 kGy, wherein the food product is at least one of fresh poultry, frozen poultry, or eggs in their shell;
• and reducing a microbial content of said food product by at least about 0.3 log10.