INFLUENCE OF FOOD ENVIRONMENTS ON GROWTH OF STAPHYLOCOCCUS AUREUS AND PRODUCTION OF VARIOUS ENTEROTOXINS1

Though Staphylococcus aureus can grow in foods within a broad range of environmental conditions, production of enterotoxins occurs within a much narrower range. In situations that permit growth of S. aureus, oxygen tension and associative growth of other microorganisms affect enterotoxin production more adversely than other factors such as temperature, pH, and water activity. Minimal amounts of enterotoxins or none may be produced in raw, semiprocessed, or fermented foods when there is competitive growth of other microorganisms unless such growth is retarded by bacteriophages, antibiotics, organic acids, and processing conditions such as curing and heating.