Polymerase chain reaction-based serotyping of pathogenic bacteria in food

Serotyping analysis of bacterial pathogens in food products is important for foodborne disease surveillance and outbreak investigations. Traditional immunological techniques are labor-intensive and time-consuming, whereas polymerase chain r eaction (PCR)-based techniques are more robust, consistent and rapid. PCR-based methods also provide easier standardization and better reproducibility. Here, we summarize some recent developments and applications of PCR-based serotyping for common foodborne pathogens, and provide a list of available bioinformatics tools for developing PCR-based serotyping assays.