500
Which pathogen if allowed to grow causes illness because of its heat stable toxin
Staphylococcus aureus
Found mainly in respiratory passages, skin and superficial wounds.
Although cooking destroys the bacteria, the toxin produced is heat stable and may not be destroyed.
Staphylococcal food poisoning occurs most often in foods that require hand preparation, such as potato salad, ham salad and sandwich spreads.
Good personal hygiene while handling foods will help keep S. aureus out of foods, and refrigeration of raw and cooked foods will prevent the growth of these bacteria if any are present.