DNA based typing, identification and detection systems for food spoilage microorganisms: development and implementation

The rapid identification of spoilage microorganisms is of eminent importance to the food industry. It provides the food industry with the opportunity to reduce economical losses by designing adequate intervention measures. The use of identification systems based on biochemical and physiological characteristics resulted often in disappointing identification results and misidentifications. This will inevitably lead to inappropriate strategies to prevent spoilage. This review discusses the potential of the DNA based identification technology including the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the identification and specific detection of microorganisms. Fingerprinting methods based on the DNA-probe technology enable a clear insight in the identity of microorganisms on different levels, varying from genus to strain level depending on the systems used. Discrimination between subspecies and strain level is shown to be helpful for investigating routes and sources of contamination. Differentiation at the species level is demonstrated to be essential in order to design a highly specific detection system enabling to signalize a microorganism that belongs to a particular species. Also indicated in this review is the necessity and the technical approach to detect microorganisms that display a particular undesirable trait.