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

Maryland Department of Health investigators tested food remnants and clinical specimens from those who fell sick to determine that the bacteria, also called Staph, was responsible for the mass illness.

First responders took 46 people to area hospitals Oct. 21 after they ate what health officials said was “outside food” brought onto the premises of NAFCO Wholesale Seafood Distributors at 7775 Chesapeake Bay Court in Jessup. None of those who became sick ended up being hospitalized, the Maryland Department of Health said Wednesday, and officials were not aware of any patients who are still ill.

Reached by phone Wednesday morning, a representative for NAFCO reiterated that the contaminated food was not from the distributor.

“Nothing came from here; it just happened in our parking lot,” he said, adding that NAFCO immediately put a policy in place after the incident banning workers from sharing outside food on its premises.

Staph food poisoning can lead to gastrointestinal illness caused by toxins that are produced by the bacteria, which flourish in uncooked food or food not stored at the proper temperature. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend refrigerating perishable food after two hours — or after one hour if the temperature outside is 90 degrees Fahrenheit or hotter — and making sure that meals are kept at a temperature below or above the “danger zone” of 40 F to 140 F.

Though cooking can kill Staph, it doesn’t destroy toxins within food, state health officials said. Food poisoning from the bacteria cannot be transmitted from person to person.

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

Both bacteria like Staph, listeria and E. coli, and viruses like norovirus, can cause foodborne illness. While most people do not require a trip to the hospital due to food poisoning, it can be dangerous and sometimes fatal for vulnerable populations including babies and children under 5, adults 65 and older, pregnant people and anyone with a weakened immune system.

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

Washing your hands before preparing food and before eating.

Sanitizing all utensils, cutting boards and counters, especially after handling raw meats.

Washing fruits and vegetables.

Avoiding raw, unpasteurized dairy products.

Paying attention to “best by” and “sell by” dates.

Cooking meat to a safe internal temperature (you can find specific guidelines on the CDC’s website).

Keeping tabs on food recalls and foodborne illness outbreaks on the CDC’s website.

Have a news tip? Contact reporter Amanda Yeager at ayeager@baltsun.com, 443-790-1738 or @amandacyeager on X.