This bacterium can be found in dairy and high protein foods and spread by food handlers. It produces a toxin that causes vomiting shortly after being ingested. Staphylococcal toxins are resistant to heat so they cannot be destroyed by cooking. Foods at highest risk of contamination with staphylococcus aureus and subsequent toxin production are those that are made by hand and require no cooking. Some examples of foods that have caused staphylococcal food poisoning are sliced meat, puddings, pastries and sandwiches.