To analyze the antimicrobial resistance and molecular characteristics in foodborne Staphylococcus aureus in Beijing so as to prevent foodborne disease caused by Staphylococcus aureus and provide evidence for the reasonable clinical use of antibiotics.MethodsStaphylococcus aureus strains isolated from foodborne pathogenic bacteria monitoring network in Beijing from 2010 to 2012 were tested against 8 commonly used antibiotics using broth micro-dilution method. The isolates were further subtyped by PFGE. Results116 strains were antibiotic resistant, the resistant rate was 62.03%. The resistant rates for 8 commonly used antibiotics were erythromycin (45.45%), oxacillin (27.81%), clindamycin(20.86%),tetracycline(13.90%),chloramphenicol(11.76%), ciprofloxacin(6.42%), trimethoprim/sulfamet-hoxazole (5.88%). 52 strains were Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), and 135 strains were methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA). 34 MRSA were multidrug resistant. Totally, 129 PFGE patterns were identified. No dominant PFGE patterns were obviously identified.ConclusionMultidrug resistant were popular among the Staphylococcus aureus strains isolated from food. PFGE patterns showed diversed characteristics. The antibiotic resistance spectrum and PFGE patterns showed no correlation.