An inline antimicrobial lightwave treatment method and apparatus is provided. The method and related apparatus comprises a conveyor-based transport system that subjects all surfaces of foodstuff moving on a conveyor to a UV-ruby lightwave combination. In the preferred embodiment, the apparatus uses vertically-stacked conveyor belts to conserve floor space in industry food processing applications. The method is capable of realizing greater than 3 log reductions in live microbes in foodstuffs, although the technology may be used in nonfood applications.