To present a novel sensitive method, named lateral fl ow assay (LFA), for detecting staphylococcal enterotoxin B (SEB), and to investigate its application to food samples. Methods: LFA was performed based on an immunochromatographic procedure that utilizes antigen-antibody properties and double-antibody sandwich format on a porous nitrocellulose membrane. Results: Results from a series of sensitivity and specifi city tests showing that LFA can successfully identify SEB in a wide variety of food samples in 10 min at the level of 10 ng/mL. Conclusions: This study has proved that the SEB strip assay plays an excellent role for SEB detection in food specimens and may prove particularly important as an early warning tool for prevention of food poisoning in consumers.