HISTAMINE LEVEL IN IMPORTED SCOMBROID FISHES

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Animal Health Research Institute, Dokki, Giza, Egypt.

2 Food Hygiene Department, Fac. Vet. Medicine, Beni-Suef, Egypt

Abstract

A total of 100 imported scombroid fish samples, 82 of each frozen mackerel and canned tuna were used in this study for determination of pH value, histamine content as well as isolation of histamine-producing bacteria.
pH. values in imported frozen mackerel ranged from 5.4 to 6.8 with a mean value of 6.1 while they were from 5.6 to 6.8 with a mean value of 6 in canned tuna. Eighty-six percent of mackerel samples and 16% of canned tuna ones showed histamine content that exceeded the permissible level (10 mg/100 gm), while 10% of imported from mackerel and 2% of canned tuna exceeded 25 mg.
None of the examined samples reached the hazard level of histamine (50 mg/100 gm).
Proteus species, followed by klebsiella pneumonia and Enterobacter aerogenes could be detected in high frequency as compared with other isolated organisms.

Main Subjects