Foodborne bacteria in dairy products: Detection by molecular techniques

Abstract

Because of their unique composition and properties, milk and dairy productsrepresent excellent growth media for many pathogenic microorganisms. Staphylococcusaureus, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Escherichia coli O157:H7 are the mostfrequent potential pathogens associated with milk or dairy products in industrialized countriesand are therefore the main microbiological hazards linked to raw milk and raw cheese. Thisreview summarizes the scientific information about outbreaks related to foodborne pathogensin dairy products and highlights the increasing application of molecular approaches to detectand identify the bacteria responsible for these outbreaks. Molecular techniques have facilitatedthe rapid detection and identification of foodborne pathogens, which has been crucial forcurrent surveillance and outbreak control.