This International Standard specifies minimum requirements of performance characteristics for the detection of nucleic acid sequences (DNA or RNA) by molecular methods. This International Standard applies to the detection of food-borne pathogens in foodstuffs and isolates obtained from them using molecular detection methods based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). This International Standard is also applicable, for example, to the detection of food-borne pathogens in environmental samples and in animal feeding stuffs. NOTE Because of the rapid progress in this field, the examples given are those most frequently in use at the time of development of this International Standard.