Biogenic amines and polyamines in meat and meat products were determined by HPLC. Spermine and spermidine were the only amines always detected in meat and meat products, ranging from 6.4 to 62.1 mg/kg for spermine and from 0.7 to 13.8 mg/kg for spermidine. Tyramine, histamine, putrescine, and cadaverine contents varied greatly, especially in ripened products and even among samples from the same commercial brand. Biogenic amines in cooked products were, in general, lower than 10 mg/kg, whereas 40% of ripened products reached levels above 300 mg/kg. Amine content in dry-cured ham was similar to those found in cooked products. High amounts of biogenic amines in some cooked products could be related to the use of low hygienic quality meat. Besides the contribution of the raw materials, amine formation can occur during the fermentative-ripening process. Adverse reactions due to interaction between monoamine oxidase inhibitors drugs and tyramine are expected in ripened products. Keywords: Biogenic amines; meat; meat products; tyramine; histamine; polyamines

Changes in 10 biogenic amines throughout tuna storage at 0, 8, and 20 °C were studied. ATP-related compounds, volatile amines, microbial counts, and organoleptic assessment were also monitored. No statistical differences were found for those parameters between samples from different anatomical areas. Similar evolution profiles were observed for biogenic amines at the three temperatures, although the highest amounts were achieved, in general, in samples stored at 20 °C. Histamine was the prevailing biogenic amine throughout storage, and the defect action level of 50 μg/g was surpassed in samples stored at 8 or 20 °C before organoleptic rejection. A great increase in cadaverine and tyramine and a slight increase in putrescine were also observed. Formation of histamine, tyramine, and cadaverine seems to be related to mesophilic flora, Enterobacteriaceae and coliforms. Hygienic quality estimation by means of trimethylamine values and IMP ratio yielded inconsistent results in samples corresponding to the limit of organoleptic acceptance. In accordance with the results of this work, we proposed for tuna assessment the use of an index calculated from the sum of the contents of histamine, tyramine, cadaverine, and putrescine which showed good correlations with both time of storage and organoleptic assessment. Keywords: Biogenic amines; histamine; tuna spoilage; ATP-related compounds; volatile amines

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Agmatine and putrescine were always present in the 195 European beers analyzed. Agmatine was the prevailing amine (10.5 ± 5.8 mg/L), whereas putrescine levels fluctuated slightly (4.8 ± 2.3 mg/L). Spermine, spermidine, tryptamine, and β-phenylethylamine were not detected in every beer, and their levels were <2 mg/L. Histamine, in general, ranged from 0.5 to 1.1 mg/L, although relatively high levels were detected in some beers. Tyramine was present in each beer, and together with cadaverine, showed the highest fluctuations (non detected to 67.5 mg/L). Putrescine and polyamines could be considered as “natural” constituents of beers, whereas histamine, tyramine, and cadaverine would be “indicators” of microbial contamination during brewing. “Kriek” and “spontaneous fermentation” beers showed the highest values of tyramine and histamine. A significant relationship was found between pH and tyramine, histamine, and cadaverine in “spontaneous fermentation” beers. Beers should be avoided by patients receiving treatment with monoamine oxidase inhibitors, because tyramine levels found in beers were very variable and unpredictable. Keywords: Beers; biogenic amines; tyramine; histamine; alcoholic beverages; polyamines