ABSTRACT
The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) constitutes a powerful method for rapidly detecting low numbers of pathogenic and toxigenic bacteria in complex food matrices. Recent developments have resulted in the ability to detect as low as 1 colony forming unit (CFU) of Salmonella enterica in a 25 g sample of ground beef within 4.5 h without enrichment. These recent innovations have the potential to eliminate most costly recalls and related illnesses by allowing raw food processors to detect the presence of pathogens in products well before shipment. This chapter deals in depth with these recent developments.
