The Electron Beam Research Facility at Texas A&M University is a dual modality facility. There are 2 vertically mounted opposing 10 MeV (Million Electron Volt), 18 Kilowatt Electron Beam Linear Accelerators (LINAC) and a single horizontally mounted 5 MeV, 15 Kilowatt X-Ray Linear Accelerator. Energies from these radiation sources are too low to induce radioactivity in any material, including food.

In the E-Beam Mode, electrons are accelerated, to near the speed of light using microwaves, into the product breaking the DNA chain of pathogens in the product. Products receive radiant energy from both the upper and lower accelerators so that product flipping is not required, and processing can be accomplished in seconds.

In the X-Ray Mode, electrons are accelerated to near the speed of light using microwaves into a dense metal which emits X-Rays that pass through the product breaking the DNA chain of pathogens in the product. The product will pass in front of the beam and then be rotated 180° to make a pass on it's opposite side. X-Ray is primarily used with bulky, non-uniform, high-density products.

The A&M research facility utilizes a single conveyance system to move the product in and out of the process chamber. All LINACs and conveyers are controlled with Allen Bradley Programmable Logic Control (PLC) software. This software, along with SureBeam's RS View Human Interface software, enables the electronic pasteurization process to be virtually automated and very tightly controlled with few staffing requirements.

The research facility, the result of a 10 year, 10 million dollar research contract between Texas A&M University and SureBeam Corporation of San Diego, California, is equipped with state-of-the-art SureBeam electron beam system components.

Two distinct modes of operation exist, one for research and one for consumable foods. Research product enters the facility through a dock or door directly to a laboratory area for dosimetry. Most material handling specific to the research, but not directly related to electron beam (ebeam) or x-ray exposure, is completed in a laboratory not located on the premises of the Electron Beam Food Research Facility (EBFRF). This research product enters the treatment area by a separate pathway that only intersects the beam at the conveyor belt that moves the product to the source of the beam (ionizing particles or photons).

Food products, that may be sold to the public, enter into a USDA/FSIS inspected area and are retained in that area throughout processing. These products are reloaded onto the truck or conveyance after processing and are not stored on premises.

Both food and research items can be processed either by ebeam or x-ray. Ebeam is made by accelerating electrons to about 99.9% the speed of light or another way of looking at it, to an energy of 10 MeV. 10 MeV is about 1.6 X 10^-12 Joules or less than a billionth of a BTU per electron. When electrons are used the accelerators are arranged so that they travel up (toward the bottom of the product) and also a second accelerator is aimed down to strike the top of the product. Either or both can be used. Since the electrons only travel through about two inches of a product that has a density similar to water we usually use both.

In addition to ebeam we make can make and use x-rays in the same way that a medical x-ray does, by taking the high speed electrons and allowing them to strike a metal target to produce a shower of x-rays. The electrons we use for this is only half of the energy or 5 MeV.