[Cold resistance of S. aureus and staphylococcal enterotoxins A and C2 in ice cream]

Studied was the cold resistance of enterotoxinogenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus and of A and C2 staphylococcus enterotoxins in milk and cream icecream kept under refrigerator conditions for 7 months at -18 degrees C. The S. aureus strains were shown to have high resistance in icecream. The survival rate of the organisms depended both on the specific peculiarities of the individual strains and on the composition of the icecream mixture. Staphylococci were found to survive longer in milk icecream. A and C2 enterotoxin retained fully their activity in the two types of icecream over the entire period of storing. The data obtained is important for the elucidation of the epidemiology of alimentary staphylococcus intoxications.