ISO 19020:2017 specifies a screening method for the detection of staphylococcal enterotoxins SEA, SEB, SECs, SED and SEE in foodstuffs. It consists of two main steps: a) extraction followed by a concentration based on dialysis principle; and b) an immunoenzymatic detection using commercially available detection kits.

ISO 19020:2017 is applicable to the screening of staphylococcal enterotoxins SEA to SEE in products intended for human consumption.

Other staphylococcal enterotoxins such as types SEG, SEH, SEI, SER, SES and SET can also cause illness. Due to the lack of commercially available detection kits, ISO 19020:2017 is applicable only to types SEA to SEE, but may apply to other types of toxins, subject to validation of the method.