Jessup’s food poisoning was caused by staph toxins. Here’s how to stay safe.

A food poisoning outbreak that sent dozens of Jessup seafood plant employees to the hospital Last week, the illness was caused by Staphylococcus aureus, state health officials said.

Maryland Department of Health investigators tested food debris and clinical samples from those who fell ill to determine that a bacterium, also called staph, was responsible for the mass illness.

On Oct. 21, first responders transported 46 people to area hospitals after they ate what health officials said was “outside food” delivered to the premises of NAFCO Seafood Wholesale Distributors at 7775 Chesapeake Bay Court in Jessup. None of the sick people were hospitalized, the Maryland Department of Health said Wednesday, and officials are not aware of any patients who are still sick.

Reached by phone Wednesday morning, a NAFCO representative confirmed the contaminated food items were not from the distributor.

“Nothing came from here; it just happened in our parking lot,” he said, adding that after the incident, NAFCO immediately put in place a policy prohibiting employees from sharing food with others on their premises.

Staph food poisoning can lead to gastrointestinal illnesses caused by toxins produced by bacteria that grow in raw food or food stored at the wrong temperature. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends refrigeration of perishable food after two hours — or after an hour if the temperature outside is 90°F or higher — and make sure the food stays between 40°F and 140°F.

While cooking can kill staph, it does not eliminate the toxins in food, state health officials say. Food poisoning by bacteria cannot be spread from person to person.

The Jessup incident is the latest mass food poisoning to make headlines in recent weeks. Dozens of people were hospitalized and 10 died after an outbreak of listeria linked to Boar’s Head deli meats, while others fell ill after eating McDonald’s Quarter Pounders contaminated with E. coli. Listeria has also been found in Costco smoked salmon and frozen waffles from Aldi, Target and Walmart, prompting recalls.

Both bacteria such as staph, listeria and E. coli and viruses such as norovirus can cause foodborne illness. Although most people do not require a trip to the hospital for food poisoning, it can be dangerous and sometimes fatal for vulnerable populations, including infants and children under 5, adults 65 and older, pregnant people, and people with weakened immune systems .

Experts recommend taking simple steps to prevent food contamination, including:

• Wash your hands before preparing food and before eating

• Disinfect all utensils, cutting boards and counters, especially after handling raw meat.

• Washing fruits and vegetables

• Avoid raw, unpasteurized dairy products.

• Pay attention to expiration and sale dates.

• Cooking meat to a safe internal temperature (specific recommendations can be found on the CDC website)

• Track food recalls and foodborne illness outbreaks on the CDC website.