The Use of Multiplex Real-Time PCR for the Simultaneous Detection of Foodborne Bacterial Pathogens

Foodborne pathogens continue to be a major health concern worldwide. Culture-dependent methodologies are still considered the gold standard to perform pathogen detection and quantification. These methods present several drawbacks, such as being time-consuming and labor intensive. The implementation of real-time PCR has allowed to overcome these limitations, and even reduce the cost associated with the analyses, due to the possibility of simultaneously and accurately detecting several pathogens in one single assay, with results comparable to those obtained by classical approaches. In this chapter, a protocol for the simultaneous detection of two of the most important foodborne pathogens, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes, is described.