Microbiological safety of meat | Staphylococcus aureus

Abstract

Staphylococcal food poisoning usually occurs when cooked foods are contaminated by infected food handlers and then temperature abused. On growing to a high concentration, the pathogen may produce one or more heat stable protein enterotoxins that cause emesis when consumed. While there are more than 20 enterotoxins, only five are commonly involved in foodborne incidents. Foods allowing the selective growth of the organism such as those with a high salt concentration, or cooked foods containing few competing bacteria, are usually associated with disease. The acquisition of antibiotic resistance genes has resulted in the emergence of resistant forms of the organisms, such as Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus. However, the role of the foodborne route in the transmission of these organisms is not yet fully established. Prevention of food poisoning is achieved through the implementation of good personal hygiene during food production and effective temperature control.