Impact of genomic diversity on food safety.

The deadly botulinum neurotoxin formed by is the causative agent of foodborne botulism. The increasing availability of genome sequences is starting to allow the genomic diversity of Groups I and II and their neurotoxins to be characterised. This information will impact on microbiological food safety through improved surveillance and tracing/tracking during outbreaks, and a better characterisation of Groups I and II, including the risk presented, and new insights into their biology, food chain transmission, and evolution.