This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by McCoy, D. W. Articles by Faber, J. E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by McCoy, D. W. Articles by Faber, J. E. Agricola Articles by McCoy, D. W. Articles by Faber, J. E.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1966 May; 14(3): 372-377
Copyright © 1966 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Influence of Food Microorganisms on Staphylococcal Growth and Enterotoxin Production in Meat

Meat Inspection Division, Consumer and Marketing Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, Maryland
Department of Microbiology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland

ABSTRACT

Forty-four microorganisms were studied for their influence on staphylococcal growth and enterotoxin production. Inhibition was found to be more common than stimulation. Two types of inhibition were observed: inhibition of staphylococcal growth, and inhibition of enterotoxin formation with no apparent effect on growth. By use of a plate test, 12 of the 44 food microorganisms were found to inhibit staphylococcal growth at 35 C. Of the 12, 3 also inhibited growth at 25 C. No significant differences in inhibition were observed with the 15 strains of enterotoxigenic staphylococci. In meat slurries, inhibition of staphylococcal growth was found to be greater at 25 C than at 35 C. Results on inhibition obtained from the plate test could not be correlated with the effect of the organisms in slurries. Environmental conditions were found to affect markedly the influence of food microorganisms on staphylococci. Of the 44 food microorganisms studied, only Bacillus cereus was observed to stimulate significantly staphylococcal growth and enterotoxin formation. Stimulation was more pronounced with Staphylococcus aureus 196E than with other strains of enterotoxigenic staphylococci. Bacillus megaterium and Brevibacterium linens were inhibited by staphylococci. These organisms were completely inhibited when inoculated in mixed cultures with staphylococci. In pure cultures, good staphylococcal growth was found to be accompanied by enterotoxin production; however, in the presence of food microorganisms, good staphylococcal growth occurred without the formation of detectable levels of enterotoxin A.

¹ Present address: Biological Process & Product Improvement, Lederle Laboratories, Pearl River, N.Y.