Reporter bacteriophage assays as a means to detect foodborne pathogenic bacteria

Bacterial disease due to the consumption of contaminated food is a global problem that has necessitated the need for modern rapid bacterial detection techniques. There has been much recent interest in the use of reporter bacteriophages as a tool to aid in the detection of foodborne, and clinical bacterial pathogens. The reporter bacteriophage concept provides a sensitive method for bacterial detection and sensitivity to antimicrobial agents. This review presents the current status of reporter bacteriophage technology. The bacterial and eucaryotic luciferases, the ice nucleation protein, and the E. coli beta-galactosidase reporter genes are discussed, along with many examples that demonstrate the usefulness of reporter bacteriophage as tools to detect foodborne bacterial contamination. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.