ABSTRACT
Microbiological quality control programs in the dairy industry are being increasingly applied to minimize the risk of infection for the consumer. However, the classical methods for routine analysis are laborious and time-consuming. Consequently, several approaches have been developed for solving those inconveniences. Among them, the molecular methods stand out; the benefits of adopting the latest advances in molecular microbial diagnostics in routine food analysis are becoming increasingly apparent, as they possess inherent advantages over traditional microbiological culturing techniques, such as shorter time to results, excellent detection limits, specificity, and potential for automation. This chapter summarizes the most recent approaches for the detection of the main foodborne pathogens in dairy products exploiting the real-time PCR technique, which is currently the technique of choice in food analysis laboratories.
