Production of enterotoxin A in milk.

Enterotoxin A production in milk was studied by use of variables of milk quality, initial numbers of enterotoxigenic staphylococci, incubation temperature, and time. In both raw and pasteurized milks having a low total viable count, enterotoxin was detected in minimal incubation times of 6 to 9 hr at 35 C, 9 to 12 hr at 30 C, 18 hr at 25 C, and 36 hr at 20 C, after inoculation with 10(6)Staphylococcus aureus cells per ml. When similar milks were inoculated with 10(4)S. aureus cells per ml, enterotoxin was detected in 12 hr at 35 C, 18 hr at 30 C, 24 to 36 hr at 25 C, and 48 to 96 hr at 20 C. In high-count raw milk, enterotoxin was detected only in samples inoculated with 10(6)S. aureus cells per ml and incubated at 35 C. Generally, a concentration of 5 x 10(7)S. aureus cells per ml of milk was reached before enterotoxin A was detected.