IntroductionIn recent years, there has been a great interest in biogenic amines such histamine, as they are associated with the quality and safety of some kinds of fermented foods. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of temperature and storage time on the content of histamine in cheeses.Material and MethodsSamples of mould and hard cheeses were examined with RP-HPLC with an organic-aqueous mobile phase containing acidic buffer and chaotropic salt. The samples were stored either at 22 ± 2°C for 42 days (mould and hard cheeses) or at 4 ± 2°C for 112 days (mould cheeses) and 133 days (hard cheeses).ResultsThe mean total histamine content in cheeses stored at 22°C was higher than the content in those stored at 4°C, with the highest concentrations found in Gorgonzola Piccante cheese (730.47 mg/kg). Histamine concentration in some types of cheeses exceeded the toxic threshold dose, indicating that after long or inadequately cool storage they may not be safe for consumers.ConclusionTo protect cheeses from contamination with histamine-producing bacteria and to safeguard consumers from poisoning, factors conducive to this amine’s formation should be minimised during cheese processing. Suitable temperature and time during storage of cheeses are recommended to avoid the intoxication. Monitoring of this toxin in food is necessary to ensure safety of consumers.

The high performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection was used for the study. The histamine was detected in 14.6% and 17.8% of the samples of fresh and smoked fish respectively. The highest concentrations of the compound were found in smoked herring and smoked sprat (17.7 mg/kg and 24.1 mg/kg respectively). Histamine concentration in fresh and smoked fish did not exceed the allowable limit, indicating that they are safe for consumers.

Introduction Histamine is one of the most important and toxic biogenic amines which may be present in food and may cause food poisoning in humans when contained at a high level. It is produced during bacterial decarboxylation of histidine in fish muscles. The aim of the study was to investigate the presence of histamine in fish and fish products available in Poland during 2014–2018. Material and Methods A total of 421 samples of raw (248), smoked (107), canned (50), and marinated fish (16) were analysed by high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array detection. Results Histamine was detected in 14.1% samples of raw fish, 29% of smoked fish, 22% of canned fish and 93.8% of marinated fish in concentrations ranging from 3.4 to 156.4 mg/kg. Content of this amine above 100 mg/kg was found in four samples: raw Atlantic salmon, smoked European sprat and two samples of marinated Atlantic herring. Conclusion The study showed that fish and fish products on the Polish market generally meet the food safety criteria for histamine and are safe for consumers.

Introduction Many consumers seek long-ripening meat products. The availability of these highly distinctive cured pork varieties is continuously expanding and their safety should be subject to monitoring. One of potentially harmful substances in these products is histamine. The presence of this toxic amine is reported in many countries, even in high concentrations. However, the EU has not regulated the permissible histamine content in meat, in a situation at odds with that of regulated fish and fish products. This study established the usefulness of biogenic amine testing in long-ripening pork and furnished indicative concentrations potential useful as a background for future research in preparation for EU regulative intervention. Material and Methods A total of 97 samples of long-ripening meat products untreated by heat were bought from various shops in the Puławy and Lublin regions of Poland and tested for the presence of histamine using high-performance liquid chromatography with diode array. Results The histamine concentration ranged from below limit of detection to 346.64 mg/kg, where 3.47 mg/kg was the lowest in a positive sample. Histamine was detected in 48 samples (49.5%). The maximum amount of histamine was identified in dry ham and the minimum in traditional salami. Conclusion The results of this study suggest that testing meat products for biogenic amines should be a very good indicator of the food safety of long-ripening meats. In half of the tested products, levels of biogenic amines potentially toxic to consumers were determined.

Introduction Histamine intoxication, known as scombroid fish poisoning, is caused by the consumption of foods with high levels of histamine. This biogenic amine is formed as a result of histidine decarboxylation by bacterial decarboxylases present in food, including fish and fish products. The aim of this study was to investigate the content of histamine at different production stages of canned, marinated and smoked fish. Material and Methods Raw fish, semi-finished fish products, and the final products of the same production batches were collected between 2019 and 2022 from different fish production facilities in Poland. A total of 133 raw fish samples and 76 smoked fish, 54 brined fish, 39 canned fish and 18 marinated fish final products were analysed using high performance liquid chromatography with a diode array detector. Results Histamine was identified in 55 (17.2%) out of 320 tested samples, including 8 samples of raw fish with a histamine level above 100 mg/kg. However, no samples of fish products had histamine content above the European Union Commission limit. Conclusion The obtained results show that fish products on the Polish market are generally safe for consumers in regard to histamine intoxication risk.