What is it?
Food microbiology encompasses the study and identification of foodborne pathogenic bacteria and viruses, foodborne and waterborne parasites, prions and toxins.
Public Health Laboratory Testing
‘Food Microbiology’ encompasses the study and identification of foodborne pathogenic bacteria and viruses, foodborne and waterborne parasites, prions, and toxins. While there are many foodborne pathogens, public health laboratories and their partners, as a connected nationwide laboratory system, devote a majority of their resources to testing for a few priority agents: Norovirus, Salmonella, E. coli O157:H7 and other shiga toxin- producing E. coli (STEC), and C. botulinum toxins.
Focusing on Foodborne Pathogens
While the pulsed-field gel electrophoresis method (PFGE) utilized by PulseNet is one of the most widespread techniques used to detect foodborne disease clusters, other laboratory techniques are commonly used.
USDA - Food Safety Science and Technology Programs