A catered hot meal was served from a steam table that kept foods at roughly 115°F for 8 hours before many guests developed abdominal cramps and diarrhea about 10–14 hours after eating. Which organism is most likely and why?

• A. Salmonella — because Salmonella grows best at refrigeration temperatures and typically causes symptoms within 1–2 hours after ingestion of chilled buffet foods.
• B. Clostridium perfringens — it multiplies rapidly in the temperature danger zone and often causes outbreaks with onset around 8–16 hours after consumption of improperly held hot foods.
• C. Norovirus — because norovirus multiplication in warm steam tables produces long incubation illness typically 10–14 hours later and is directly linked to hot holding at 115°F.
• D. Escherichia coli O157:H7 — which produces a heat-stable preformed toxin during warm holding and causes cramps and diarrhea within a couple hours.

Answer: (B)