Ideal environment for Staphylococcus aureus

Although extremely well suited to live on humans, Staphylococcus aureus is also found in a variety of other habitats, including water, decaying matter, and on just about any surface. Staphylococcus aureus is extremely durable. It grows in a wide temperature range of other habitats, including water, decaying matter and on just about any surface.

The major sources of energy for Staphylococcus aureus are carbohydrates and amino acids. It can grow in a temperature range of 10°C-45°C, with an optimum temperature between 30°C–37°C. The pH range of growth is 42–93, with the optimum range of 7.0–7.5

In foods, Staphylococcus aureus will grow at temperatures as low as 6.7 °C and as high as 44.4 °C. In some foods (Turkey stuffing), temperatures as high as 48.9 °C have sometimes been necessary to destroy the organism.

To keep the risk of staphylococcal food intoxication as low as possible, the holding temperatures of ready-to-eat food must be kept above 48 °C. Because other foodborne pathogens (such as Bacillus cereus) can grow at even higher temperatures, the general recommendations to keep ready-to-eat food warm is a holding temperature of more than 65 °C.
Ideal environment for Staphylococcus aureus