Intoxication of Bacteria
Some bacteria produce harmful toxin or other chemicals that are then present in the food. It is not the bug itself that causes illness, but rather the toxin the bacteria produce.
This can happen even if the pathogen itself has been killed as long as it had sufficient time to produce enough toxin before frying.
Staphylococcus aureus is an example of this type of bacteria. Staphylococci exist in air, dust, sewage, milk, animals, humans and on food or on food equipment.
They are present in the nasal passage and throats and on the hair and skin of 5o percent or more of health individuals. Illness is cause by ingesting toxins produced in food by some strains of S. aureus, usually because the food has not been kept hot enough or cold enough.
Although cooking easily destroys the bacteria, the toxin produced by the bacteria very resistant to heating, refrigeration and freezing. It is not possible to detect the presence of the toxin in food by smell, appearance or taste.
The likehood of illness increases with the amount of time the bacteria are left at an improper temperature.
Intoxication of Bacteria
