Five miniaturized systems (API, Enteric-Tek, Enterotube II, Micro-ID and Minitek) were compared to conventional procedures for identification of Enterobacteriaceae from stock cultures and freshly isolated from food sources, The accuracy of identification to genus was 98% for Micro-ID; 95%, Minitek; 94%, Enteric-Tek; 93%, API; and 86%, Enterotube II, Accuracy of identification to species was 97% for Micro-ID; 94%, Minitek; 93%, Enteric-Tek; 91 %, API; and 79%, Enterotube II, The 124 organisms tested in this study were from 11 genera of the Enterobacteriaceae family. All systems accurately identified to species the most pathogenic members of the family ( Arizona hinshawii , Salmonella typhi , Salmonella typhimurium and Shigella flexneri ). Most of the inaccuracies in identification occurred with Enterobacter and Serratia species.