Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a novel DNA amplification technique that has brought fundamental change to clinical diagnosis and rapid detection of food-borne pathogens. The technique needs little technical time and has a quick turnover. The results of PCR are accurate, sensitive, and specific. However, the application of PCR for the detection of pathogens directly from food is limited because natural food components often affect the activity of Taq DNA polymerase, the enzyme catalyzing DNA amplification.