A survey of Staphylococcus aureus contamination of commercial raw minced meat at 3 supermarkets in Hyogo Prefecture was conducted over a period of half a year (January to June 2006). In total, the contamination rate was 77.8̮ (28/36) for beef, 91.7̮ (33/36) for pork and 91.7̮ (33/36) for chicken samples. In supermarket A, half or more of the positive samples had MPN values of 110/g for all 3 kinds of meat samples. In supermarkets B and C, most of the positive samples were less than 46/g for all

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... 3 kinds of meat samples. Of the 94 isolates examined, 50 (53.2̮) belonged to the human biotype, and 44 (46.8̮) to animal biotypes. By coagulase typing, 64 (77.1̮) of the 83 typable isolates were classified into types V (n32) and VII (n32). Seventeen (18.1̮) of the 94 isolates produced staphylococcal enterotoxins C (n16) and B (n1). Pulse-field gel electrophoresis was applied for epidemiological analysis of the isolates in the 3 supermarkets. In supermarket A, the predominant type shifted during the term of the investigation. In supermarket B, the same type was isolated repeatedly from the meat throughout the investigation. In supermarket C, a variety of genotypes were detected from the meat throughout the investigation.