Staphylococci in competition. I. Growth of naturally occurring mixed populations in precooked frozen foods during defrost.

In chicken pot pies, it was not possible to promote the growth of appreciable numbers of staphylococci under any condition of defrost. The pies spoiled under the same conditions, however. In macaroni and cheese dinners, tremendous numbers of saprophytic bacteria developed, but only after extended incubation at room temperature in which even spoilage was carried to an extreme. Under these conditions, staphylococci also multiplied vigorously. At the extreme temperature of 37 C, rank spoilage of such an advanced state as to render the product completely inedible was reached in less than 24 hr. Staphylococci grew very well under these extreme conditions.