The growth of microorganisms in foods is different from that in axenic liquid culture in laboratory media. In natural environments, including food, microorganisms generally grow in mixed culture and in close proximity to each other, as a result of which antagonistic or synergistic interactions can occur. In addition, most foods are solids, with the consequence that organisms are spatially fixed and will only grow at sites that provide the correct growth conditions. At different sites within foods there are differences in pH, oxygen concentration, nutrient level, water activity and also, in some foods, preservatives. This results in the establishment of a series of micro‐environments, only some of which will provide appropriate conditions for growth. Antibody‐linked probes can be used for the immuno‐location of microorganisms or their products in natural food systems to demonstrate the sites at which growth has occurred, and thereby suggest methods of reducing microbially produced spoilage. In this study, the use of antibodies raised against species of Pseudomonas, Brochothrix thermosphacta, and nisin produced by Lactococcus lactis are discussed.