Staphylococcal food poisoning results from consumption of food containing enterotoxin produced by enterotoxigenic strains of Staphylococcus aureus. It is caused by ingestion of improperly stored or cooked food. S. aureus is a Gram-positive coccus, very resistant to heat, drying and radiation. If the bacteria are allowed to incubate in certain foods, they produce heat-stable enterotoxin that renders the food dangerous. Six different enterotoxins have been identified and are designated as A, B, C, D, E and F.