The objective of this study was to characterize the bactericidal effect of 461nm visible-light LED on three common foodborne bacteria: Escherichia coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus. Tests were conducted against pathogen strains that were treated with 461nm LED for 10 h at 15°C. The E. coli (ATCC 43894, ATCC 8739 and ATCC 35150) and the S. aureus (ATCC 27664, ATCC 19095 and ATCC 43300) had average reductions of 2.5, 6.6, 1.5, 2.5 and 2.0 log CFU/mL, respectively, after they were exposed for 10 h to 461nm LED light (p<0.05). In contrast, V. parahaemolyticus (ATCC 43969) had 6 log CFU/mL reductions after it was exposed for 4 h to 461nm LED light. The results showed that both the Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria were inactivated with 461nm LED light exposure. Also, the Gram-negative bacteria were more sensitive to the LED treatment than the Gram-positive bacteria. These results show the potential use of 461nm LED as a food preservation and application technology.