Molecular genetic techniques in food quality control, authentication, and biotechnology

Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Food Technologies, Plovdiv, Bulgaria

^* Corresponding author: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Abstract

The growing demand for safe, high-quality, and traceable food, feed, and biotechnological products has led to the widespread adoption of molecular genetic techniques in both analytical and regulatory frameworks. The present review explores the application of advanced molecular tools such as methods based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR), DNA barcoding, and next-generation sequencing (NGS) in ensuring product quality, verifying authentication, detecting contamination, and supporting biotechnological innovation. These methods offer high sensitivity, specificity, and speed, making them powerful alternatives to conventional techniques. They are particularly valuable for detecting food adulteration, identifying genetically modified organisms (GMOs), authenticating species origin in complex matrices, and monitoring microbial contamination in food and medicinal products. In addition, the global threat of foodborne pathogens underscores the importance of timely and cost-effective microbial detection. Molecular techniques, including PCR, isothermal amplification methods, gene probes, and DNA microarrays have shown high specificity and efficiency in pathogen identification and surveillance. Overall, molecular genetic approaches represent a robust and indispensable tool for modern food analysis, offering unparalleled precision, reliability, and adaptability across diverse applications in food safety, authentication verification, and biotechnology.