Which characteristic of Staphylococcus aureus foodborne illness explains why reheating may not prevent illness?

• A. Staphylococcus aureus always survives boiling temperatures in vegetative form making reheating ineffective.
• B. Some strains produce a preformed enterotoxin that is heat-stable and can remain active even after cooking or reheating.
• C. Because the bacteria embed into food matrices making them inaccessible to heat, so reheating stimulates toxin absorption without killing bacteria.
• D. The illness is due to a virus co-infecting with Staphylococcus, and viruses are unaffected by heat used in cooking.

Answer: (B)