Table 2.

Causal factors of foodborne outbreaks caused by S. aureus occurred in the State of Rio Grande do Sul from 2000 to 2002.

Causal factors	Number of outbreaks	(%)
Storage in improper cooling	9	8
Inadequate storage in hot temperature	3	3
Improper cooking	2	2
Reheating inappropriate	1	1
Storage at room temperature for more than 2 h	32	27
Cross-contamination	11	9
Contamination with toxic chemicals	0	0
Use of toxic utensils	0	0
Ingestion of contaminated water	3	3
Infected food handlers	4	3
Poor hygiene of equipment and utensils	8	7
Improper handling	7	6
Use of raw material without sanitary inspection	30	26
Unknown	7	6
Total	117	100%