RESUMEN
Fifty-one cooked ham samples were analized by three methods for investigation of Staphylococcus aureus; Modified Van Doorne and American Public Health Association; The Official Mexican Method. The first two are enrichment methods and in all three a comparison between Baird Parker agar and salt milk agar was done. The modified Van Doorne technique was the best for isolation of S. aureus from cooked ham. In Baird Parker agar it was possible to demonstrate the presence of S. aureus in all positive samples. The study shows the importance of using Baird Parker broth as an enrichment medium for the isolation of S. aureus from products in which a thermal treatment and addition of salts as sodium chloride and nitrites, inhibit the growth of this microorganism.