PCR Based Detection in Food Safety and Food Microbiology: Principle, Workflow, Applications, Interpretation and Limitations
PCR Based Detection in Food Safety and Food Microbiology: Principle, Workflow, Applications, Interpretation and Limitations Introduction Food safety testing is no longer limited to smell, appearance, microscopy and traditional culture methods. Modern food laboratories now use molecular techniques to detect hazards and authenticity markers at the DNA or RNA level. Among these techniques, PCR, Polymerase Chain Reaction, is one of the most important tools used in food microbiology, food safety surveillance, regulatory testing, quality assurance and food fraud control. PCR is a target specific molecular method used to amplify selected DNA sequences. In simple words, PCR can take a very small amount of target genetic material and make millions to billions of copies. This makes detection faster, more sensitive and more specific. In food safety, PCR is used for detecting foodborne pathogens, virulence genes, allergen related DNA, GMO sequences, animal species markers, spoilage organisms a...