Staphylococcus aureus is a bacterium that can be present in non-heat-treated food and that, under certain circumstances, can generate toxins in the food. EZthapTox aims to enhance the value of the food chain in the Basque Country, favouring the production, marketing and consumption of quality food that is safe from the point of view of this microorganism and its toxin. In order to achieve this general objective, the following will be carried out:

• The identification of the genetic changes that cause the production of S. aureus toxins during the production and ripening of cheese.
• The identification of the phases of cheese production and/or ripening where this change in the behaviour of the microorganism occurs.
• The search for predictive indicators of the behaviour of the microorganism and of the generation of enterotoxin in cheese.
• The communication of this information to the agents involved in order to promote a safer food chain.

• Leartiker
• UPV/EHU

• Investigation of the prevalence of staphylococcal enterotoxin in tank milk.
• Study of the development of S. aureus and staphylococcal enterotoxin production in cheeses produced under pilot conditions.
• Isolation of the genetic material obtained in the samples taken from the pilot cheeses.