Predictive microbiology was utilized to model Staphylococcus aureus (S.aureus) growth and staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) production in milk in this study.The modified logistic model,modified Gompertz model and Baranyi model were applied to model growth data of S.aureus between 15℃ and 37℃.Model comparisons indicated that Baranyi model described the growth data more accurately than two others with a mean square error of 0.0129.Growth rates generated from Baranyi model matched the observed ones with a bias factor of 0.999 and an accuracy factor of 1.01,and fit a square root model with respect to temperature;other two modified models both overestimated the observed ones.SEA amount began to be detected when the cell number reached 106.4 cfu· mL-1,and showed the linear correlation with time.Besides,the rate of SEA production fitted an exponential relationship as a finction of temperature.Predictions based on the study could be appfied to indicate possible growth of S.aureus and prevent the occurrence of staphylococcal food poisoning.