The 5S intergenic spacers were amplified using a common pair of primers and sequenced from four species (Brassica napus, Zea mays, Helianthus annuus, and Glycine max). Crop-specific assays were developed from primers designed from the spacers and tested to amplify corresponding DNAs in both conventional end-point and real-time polymerase chain reactions (PCRs). The high copy numbers of the 5S DNA in plants make it possible to detect very small amounts of DNA using this marker. This sensitivity made it possible to compare different DNA extraction methods for highly processed food products using 5S spacers, even allowing dilution of templates to overcome PCR inhibition.