The guarantee of food safety and quality along the food chain is a principal demand of the citizen. Fundamental aspects in food safety and quality, such as the presence of pathogens and their potential risk, are important consumer concerns. Other questions such as the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food production are also subjects where society demands total transparency. To guarantee food safety and quality and satisfy the requirements of the consumer, it is necessary to ensure that efficient analytical methodologies are possessed by the food industry. This review discusses current status and future challenges in two areas of analytical methodology in food safety and quality: the monitoring of microorganisms and the detection of GMOs. Current strategies for developing methods will be discussed. Lessons learnt through activities in method development and validation of leading research groups will be described. The review will also discuss the necessary requirements for the standardization of analytical tools in food safety monitoring.* A summary of the symposium 'Analytical Methodology in Food Safety: current status, lessons learnt and future challenges' at the XIII World Congress of Food Science and Technology IUFOST 2006 'FOOD IS LIFE', Nantes, France, September 17th?21st, 2006.