Electron beam irradiation was applied to examine the microbial growth and qualities of vacuum-packaged Astragalus membranaceus, a Korean medicinal herb. Samples were irradiated at dose of 2, 4, 8, 12, and 16 kGy, respectively. Microbiological data on A. membranaceus showed that populations of total bacteria, yeast and mold, total coliforms were significantly reduced with increase of irradiation dose. Populations of microorganisms in A. membranaceus were decreased by 2-3 log cycles at 8 kGy irradiation. Color measurements showed that electron beam treatment caused negligible changes in Hunter color L, a, and b values of A. membranaceus. Sensory evaluations showed that there were no significant changes among the samples. These results suggest that electron beam irradiated A. membranaceus have better microbial safety and qualities, compared with the non-irradiated control.