A Competitive Histamine Evaluation of Canned Tuna Fish Samples by Electrochemical and Immunochemical Methods for Post Market Surveillance

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for histamine in canned tuna fish was compared with a fast Fourier transformation stripping cyclic voltammetry method. Histamine contents of 30 canned tuna fish products from several parts of Iran were analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and fast Fourier transformation stripping cyclic voltammetry methods. These analyses on commercial canned tuna fish products showed good agreement for histamine (r² = 0.992) level in the concentration range of 2–280 mg/kg. The results showed that 36.6% of samples had higher histamine contents than the FDA caution level. The present study also revealed that the histamine levels vary depending on production date and increased by the closing expiration date of samples. Detection limits and mean recoveries for enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were 2 mg/kg and 97% and for fast Fourier transformation stripping cyclic voltammetry were 3.5?×?10^?7 mg/kg and 99.2%, respectively.     

Effect of Delayed Processing on Changes in Histamine and Other Quality Characteristics of 3 Commercially Canned Fishes

ABSTRACT: Changes in histamine and other quality characteristics were examined in 3 commercially important fishes, tuna ( Katsuwonus pelamis ), seerfish ( Scomberomorus commersonii ), and sardines ( Sardinella gibbosa ) through the canning process, at 3 different stages (raw, precooked, and canned) immediately on receipt and also after a delay of 6 h at ambient temperature (30 ± 2 °C). Tuna and seerfish remained sensorially acceptable when processed after delay, whereas sardines exhibited slight ammoniacal/putrid odor. TMA-N and TVB-N contents were low in precooked fish compared with their fresh counterparts, whereas in canned fish, both compounds increased significantly ( P < 0.05). Histamine content in the fish held for 6 h increased to 14, 17, and 8 ppm in tuna, seerfish and sardine, respectively, and never exceeded the maximum permissible limit of 50 ppm prescribed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In precooked and canned fish, histamine was lower than in their raw counterparts and found to be within the range of 1.6 to 8.0 ppm in precooked and 1.2 to 4.3 ppm in canned fish. Holding the fishes destined for canning at 30 ± 2 °C for 6 h, therefore, was found to be safe from histamine toxicity problems.     

Histamine levels in commercially important fresh and processed fish of Oman with reference to international standards

Histamine was investigated in fresh (378), frozen (441), canned (290) and dried (24) fish samples of scombroid and non-scombroid species of Oman using a high performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. Of the 1133 fish samples tested, histamine was detected in 551 samples with a detection rate of about 41.8% among fresh fish, 61.0% of frozen fish, 78.9% of canned fish and 91.6% of dried fish samples and the mean histamine levels were 2.6, 5.8, 3.1 and 104 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. A total of 3.7% and 0.79% of the total samples exceeded the FDA and EU regulatory limits for histamine. Imported dried anchovies contained high histamine levels. The study confirms that post catching and commercialisation practices of seafood are adequate, warranting good quality fish and may not cause histamine risk to consumer in terms of human diet. While necessary monitoring may be done for imported dried fish products.     

Detection and identification of histamine-producing bacteria associated with harvesting and processing mahimahi and yellowfin tuna

Histamine poisoning is one of the most common chemically induced seafoodborne illnesses reported in the United States today. The causative agents are biogenic amines, commonly produced by gram-negative bacteria. The purpose of this study was to detect and identify histamine-producing bacteria associated with standard industry practices during the harvesting, receiving, and processing of mahimahi and yellowfin tuna in North Carolina. Twenty-nine composite samples were obtained from 18 mahimahi and 11 yellowfin tuna and analyzed for their histamine content. No sample analyzed exceeded 2 ppm histamine, the lower detection limit. Composite fish muscle and environmental samples were screened (n = 386) for the presence of histamine-producing bacteria. Twenty-six percent (145) of 549 isolates selected on the basis of their morphological characteristics tested positive on Niven's media. Sixty-three Niven-positive isolates were gram negative, and 58 were gram positive. Of the 43 isolates tested further, 5 were confirmed as histamine producers, and all 5 produced at low levels (< 250 ppm in 48 h at > 15 degrees C). Three gram-negative and two gram-positive isolates were identified as Enterobacter cloacae and Staphylococcus kloosii, respectively. This study revealed that gram-negative bacteria might not be solely responsible for histamine production in at-risk fish. The confirmation of histamine-producing bacteria demonstrates the potential risk for histamine production. However, no detectable levels were found in the composite fish muscle samples analyzed even though 60% of the yellowfin tuna harvested did not meet the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's regulatory hazard analysis critical control point guidelines for temperature reduction. Therefore, no seafood safety risks were found under the standard industry practices observed in this study.     

Histamine and Other Biogenic Amines and Bacterial Isolation in Retail Canned Anchovies

ABSTRACT: Histamine and biogenic amine contents in retail canned anchovies were determined. Bacterial strains were isolated, and their histamine-producing capability was determined. The majority of canned anchovy products (80%) had histamine levels below the FDA guideline of 50 ppm. The sensory quality of products was relatively good. A few samples contained high levels of histamine (>1000 ppm). Overall, histamine contents in the products showed great lot-to-lot variations. Spermine and tyramine were commonly detected in all samples analyzed, regardless of their histamine contents. Bacterial counts in the products were mostly below the detection limit (10² CFU/g), and bacteria were frequently recovered with the enrichment of test samples in tryptic soy broth supplemented with 0.5% or 5% NaCl. Only Bacillus spp., the nonhistamine formers, were isolated from these test products. Prolific histamine-forming bacteria were not detected in these canned anchovies.     

An Automated Fluorimetric Method for the Determination of Histamine in Canned Fish Products

An automated extraction and fluorimetric detection procedure for the determination of histamine in fish products is described. Proteins are removed pr or to the automated procedure. Histamine, added at different concentration levels to a homogenized fish sample, is recovered quatitatively. The results from a study of histamine in samples of commercially canned mackerel, tuna, herring and sardines showed that ～79% of the investigated samples had histamine levels lower than 1 mg% while ～8% had a histamine content higher than 10 mg%.     

Control of Histamine‐Producing Bacteria and Histamine Formation in Fish Muscle by Trisodium Phosphate

Scombrotoxin fish poisoning remains the primary cause of seafood poisoning outbreaks despite preventive guidelines. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of pH for the control of growth and histamine formation by histamine‐producing bacteria in fish muscle. We examined pH effects on growth and histamine formation in tuna fish infusion broth and in inoculated tuna and mahi‐mahi fish muscle. Histamine production was significantly less for all bacterial strains at pH 8.5 compared to pH 5.5 in tuna fish infusion broth with no significant difference in growth. Elevated pH due to phosphate treatment of fish muscle tissues significantly reduced histamine formation with no effect on the growth of histamine‐producing bacteria. This study revealed that phosphate treatment of mahi‐mahi and tuna fish muscle resulted in significantly lower histamine production over 4 d of storage at 10 °C. Phosphate treatment of fish muscle may serve as a secondary barrier in addition to FDA recommended time and temperature controls for reducing public health concerns of scombrotoxin fish poisoning.     

Histamine levels in seventeen species of fresh and processed South African seafood

Histamine levels were determined in fresh and processed seafood from a representative range of 10 outlets after several incidents of scombroid seafood poisoning occurred. Species included seventeen fresh and processed scombroid- and non-scombroid fish, marine mollusks and crustaceans. Histamine levels in fresh seafood were generally low (0–9 ppm) with the exception of one sample of snoek (scombroid fish; >50 ppm) and one sample of yellowtail (non-scombroid fish; >50 ppm). Both species are rich in free histidine (1.5–5.3 ppb), a precursor of histamine. Processed seafood had, in general, low histamine concentrations (0–3 ppm) with the exception of fish meal (76 ppm), salted herring (47 ppm), one sample of smoked snoek (>50 ppm) and dried tuna (8000 ppm). In total, 5 of 80 examined samples (6%) contained histamine concentrations above the legal limit of 50 ppm. Experimental formation of histamine was demonstrated to be strongly temperature- and time-dependent. Samples were not contaminated with Vibrio spp., Pseudomonas spp., Klebsiellas spp. or Enterobacteria.     

Effects of on-board and dockside handling on the formation of biogenic amines in mahimahi (Coryphaena hippurus), skipjack tuna (Katsuwonus pelamis), and yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacares)

Consumer illnesses by scombroid poisonings have been a continuing problem for many years. The intoxications follow the ingestion of fish such as tuna and mahimahi that have undergone bacterial decomposition, leading to the formation of biogenic amines. Research studies have concluded that histamine is one of the indicators of scombrotoxic fish and that other amines, such as cadaverine, could be involved in the illnesses. Guidance for the handling of fish on board fishing vessels to prevent the production of scombrotoxic fish has been limited by a lack of data addressing changes that occur in fish from the water to delivery at dockside. In this study, the changes in selected biogenic amines were determined in mahimahi and tuna, which were captured and held in seawater at 25 to 35 degrees C for incubation times up to 18 h. The fillets from the treated fish were sectioned by transverse cuts and analyzed for histamine, cadaverine, and putrescine. Results showed that at 26 degrees C, more than 12 h of incubation were required before a histamine concentration of 50 ppm was reached in mahimahi. At 35 degrees C, 50 ppm histamine formed within 9 h. Similar results were found for skipjack and yellowfin tuna. Histamine concentrations exceeded 500 ppm within an additional 3 h of incubation in mahimahi. At both temperatures, an increase in the concentration of cadaverine preceded an increase in histamine levels. Changes in putrescine concentrations in the fish were less pronounced. The study also demonstrated that histidine decarboxylase activity was retained in some frozen samples of fish and could result in further increases in histamine on thawing.     

Commercial test kits and the determination of histamine in traditional (ethnic) fish products-evaluation against an EU accepted HPLC method

Although commercial test kits are generally used and/or evaluated for determining histamine in fresh and canned fish, and fish meal, there is little information on their performance and the application for traditional fish products (TFPs), which generally differ in product properties. In this study, three quantitative (Food EIA, Veratox, Histaquant) and four qualitative (Histasure, Histameter, Transia qualitative and semi-quantitative) commercial histamine test kits were evaluated against HPLC method for detecting histamine in several traditional fish products. Among the quantitative kits, Histamine Food EIA showed the best correlation with HPLC method for TFPs (R² = 0.9132) as well as good recoveries ranging between 89 (±4.11)% and 117 (±1.50)%. Although good recoveries were also observed with Veratox kit, poor correlation was found with HPLC. Poor correlation and low recoveries were also observed with Histaquant. Histasure and Transia tube histamine kits showed good agreement with HPLC results. However, the detection limit for Transia qualitative kit is 100 ppm, and for Histasure and Transia semi-quantitative kits can be set to 50 ppm. Therefore, Histasure and Transia semi-quantitative kits are found more suitable for either HACCP monitoring histamine in seafood processing plants or regulatory purposes according to Food Drug and Administration (FDA) legislation for TFPs. However, Transia semi-quantitative kit should be used in caution for histamine cut off values <50 ppm. This study shows that each test kit can represent different performance for determining histamine in TFPs according to product type, and therefore new commercial test kits should be evaluated against an approved analytical method before applications in future for these types of products.     

Preparation and Evaluation of Histamine Imprinted Polymer as a Selective Sorbent in Molecularly Imprinted Solid-Phase Extraction Coupled with High Performance Liquid Chromatography Analysis in Canned Fish

A series of molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) were prepared against histamine. Different template/monomer ratios were applied to optimize the imprinting condition. Methacrylic acid (MAA) as a functional monomer and Chloroform as a solvent were applied in polymerization process. The binding properties of MIPs were studied in comparison with a blank non-imprinted polymer. The optimized polymer, with a histamine/MAA ratio of 1/4, was selected as a sorbent in molecularly imprinted solid-phase extraction (MISPE) of histamine from canned fish. Scatchard analysis of MIP-histamine interactions revealed two types of binding sites for MIP: high affinity (K_D?=?11.11 μM) and low affinity (K_D?=?333.3 μM). The MISPE procedure was calibrated and a recovery of 76.5–97.6 % was obtained. The intra-and inter-day precision values were less than 5.70 % and 10.1 %, respectively. The selectivity of MISPE for histamine was also studied in comparison with some other structurally similar amines, which could be simultaneously present in canned fish. The performance of the imprinted polymer was examined and the results indicated that its good selectivity and affinity for histamine was very promising. Therefore, the proposed calibrated method could be applied in selective extraction and analysis of histamine in canned fish.     

Histamine and Tyramine in Preserved and Semi-preserved Fish Products

Data were obtained on histamine and tyramine contents in 48 samples of preserved and semi-preserved Spanish fish products. Ranges of concentration for both amines were wide: from 1.35 to 219.20 mg/ kg for histamine, and from 0.5 to 66.40 mg/kg for tyramine. Higher concentrations were found in semi-preserved anchovies than in the rest of the samples studied: canned tuna, herring, mackerel and sardines. In semi-preserved anchovies stored at room temperature (18-22°C), histamine production was observed after 6 months. The increase in histamine was not observed in the samples stored under refrigeration (4-6°C). Tyramine did not increase at either temperature of storage.     

Simultaneous Determination of Nitrate and Nitrite in Fish Products with Improved Sensitivity by Sample Stacking-Capillary Electrophoresis

A fast and reproducible method for the simultaneous determination of nitrate and nitrite ions in canned fish samples by capillary zone electrophoresis has been developed. The sensitivity of the method was increased by applying a sample stacking technique. Optimal separation conditions were selected as 30 mmol L^?1 formic acid and 30 mmol L^?1 sodium sulfate at a pH of 4.0. The separation of nitrate and nitrite ions was achieved within 2.5 min. The limits of detection obtained at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 for nitrate and nitrite were 0.55 and 0.82 μmol L^?1, while the relative standard deviations of intra-day corrected peak areas were 0.99 and 2.74 %, respectively. Recovery values ranged between 88.7 and 104 % for both ions. The method was successfully applied to canned fish samples, namely tuna, mackerel and sardine.     

Effect of Diamines, Polyamines and Tuna Fish Extracts on the Binding of Histamine to Mucin In Vitro

Binding of [ring-2-¹⁴C]-histamine to mucin was studied. Maximum binding of 2.5 μmol histamine/μmol mucin was observed at a histamine concentration of 0.5 mg/ml. Histamine binding was decreased by 46.5% by spermine, 25.3% by spermidine, 9.5% by cadaverine, and 11.1% by putrescine. These maximum effects were observed at molar ratios of histamine to polyamine of 1:1 for spermine and spermidine, 1:2 for cadaverine, and 1:2.3 for putrescine. The relative effects on histamine binding to mucin of extracts from wholesome canned tuna fish and a mixture of spermine, spermidine, cadaverine and putrescine were also examined. Although the total neutral aqueous extract of tuna had little effect on histamine-mucin binding (5.4% inhibition), the extract of bases from tuna and the prepared base mixture showed maximum inhibition of histamine binding to mucin of 23.1% and 21.4%, respectively. Certain other components of tuna extracts (NaCl, aspartic acid and glutamic acid) did not decrease histamine-mucin binding under the conditions used.     

Evaluation of Histamine and Other Biogenic Amines and Bacterial Isolation in Canned Anchovies Recalled by the USFDA

ABSTRACT: Histamine and other biogenic amines were evaluated in canned anchovies recalled by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In addition, bacteria were isolated from the products and identified to species. The recalled products were divided into 2 groups of high and low histamine, depending on the histamine contents as determined by the AOAC method. The high histamine group had the histamine contents >200 ppm, and 24 of the 30 cans analyzed belonged to this group. The most prevalent biogenic amine in this group was histamine followed by cadaverine. On the other hand, the low histamine group of 6 cans contained approximately 50 ppm histamine. The most prevalent biogenic amine found in this group of samples was cadaverine at levels >200 ppm. Other biogenic amines, such as putrescine, serotonin, and spermidine, were also detected in all the products, although at varied levels. Aerobic and anaerobic bacterial counts, if present in all of the recalled products, were below the detection limit of 10² colony-forming units (CFU)/g. Bacteria were recovered only after enrichment of the test samples. They were mostly halophilic bacteria. Bacillus spp. were most frequently identified, followed by Staphylococcus spp. However, these isolates produced negligible amounts of histamine in culture broth, indicating that they are not the contributors to histamine accumulation in the canned anchovies.     

A SURVEY OF HISTAMINE LEVELS IN COMMERCIALLY PROCESSED SCOMBROID FISH PRODUCTS12

Analysis of 100 samples of each of 3 types of commercially processed scombroid fish products obtained at the retail level showed mean histamine concentrations (mg/100 g) of 3.58 for chunk light tuna, 1.50 for albacore tuna, and 2.56 for mackerel. Only 2 samples of chunk light tuna and 2 of mackerel contained greater than 10 mg% histamine. The highest level of histamine found in albacore tuna was 5.35 mg/100 g, while 99% ofthe samples had less than 5 mg% histamine. Chunk light tuna samples contained up to 28.0 mg/100 g, and mackerel samples contained up to 31.5 mg/100 g; 92% of the chunk light tuna and 95% of the mackerel had less than 5% histamine. The histamine levels found in these products were far below any level associated with food poisoning incidents.     

Determination of histamine and histamine-forming bacteria in tuna dumpling implicated in a food-borne poisoning

An incident of food-borne poisoning causing illness in seven victims, due to ingestion of tuna dumpling, occurred in March 2006, in Chiayi Prefecture, southern Taiwan. The leftovers of the victims’ tuna dumpling and the five other tuna dumpling samples from five other retail stores were collected and tested to determine the occurrence of histamine and histamine-forming bacteria. The levels of pH, salt content, aerobic plate count (APC), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN), total coliform (TC) and Escherichia coli in all samples ranged from 6.08 to 6.43, 0.46% to 0.81%, 5.90 to 8.95 log CFU/g, 6.38 to 21.29 mg/100 g, 750 to 8000 most probable number (MPN)/g, and <3 to 1000 MPN/g, respectively. The suspected tuna dumpling contained 160.8 mg/100 g of histamine greater than the hazard action level of 50 mg/100 g set by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for tuna fish. Given the allergy-like symptoms of the victims and the high histamine content in the suspected tuna dumpling, this food-borne poisoning was strongly suspected to be due to histamine intoxication. In addition, although thirteen histamine-producing bacteria strains capable of producing 8.1–19.7 ppm of histamine in trypticase soy broth (TSB) supplemented with 1.0% l-histidine (TSBH), were identified as Enterobacter sp. (three strains), Pantoea agglomerans (two strains), Klebsiella variicola (four strains) and Serratia marcescens (four strains), by 16S rDNA sequencing with PCR amplification, they were not determined to be the main contributors to histamine accumulation in suspected tuna dumpling.     

Organochlorine pesticides in canned tuna and sardines on the Serbian market

The aim of this study was to determine the level of organochlorine (OC) pesticides in 57 samples of canned tuna and 31 samples of canned sardines in vegetable oil, collected from supermarkets in Serbia. OC pesticides α-HCH, β-HCH, δ-HCH, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), DDE, DDD, dielderin, endosulfane I, endosulfane II, endosulan sulfate, endrin, endrin ketone, heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, lindane, aldrin, metoxichlor, cis-chlordane and trans-chlordane were determined using a GS-MS method. The highest concentrations (µg kg^?1, arithmetic means) in canned tuna were for δ-HCH (60.6 ± 97.0) and p, p´-DDT (55.0 ± 25.1), while the corresponding values in canned sardines were for δ-HCH (90.7 ± 102.7) and endosulfane II (78.0 ± 145.9). Mean level for the sum of endosulfans was above the maximum limit in canned sardines (85.0 µg kg^?1). Also, dieldrin (39.7 µg kg^?1) was measured above the ML.     

Determination of histamine by capillary zone electrophoresis using a low-pH phosphate buffer: application in the analysis of fish and marine products

 Histamine levels in samples of fish and marine products were determined by capillary zone electrophoresis using phosphate buffer at pH 2.44 and UV detection at 214 nm. A plot of the area of the peaks versus histamine concentration was linear over the range of 1–100 ppm with a correlation coefficient of 0.9996. Calibration using the height of the peak also gave good correlation, with a correlation coefficient of 0.9969, at concentrations between 1 ppm and 20 ppm. The recovery of added histamine in different samples of fish and fish products was, on average, 99.65%. The method described in this work was used for the quantitation of histamine in fish and fish products. Received: 19 March 1996/Revised version: 22 July 1996     

Histamine stability in Rihaakuru at -80, 4 and 30°C

Rihaakuru is a shelf stable fish paste product formed from a fish soup prepared from tuna. Histamine contamination is a food safety issue with this product that is manufactured from tuna fish that has been temperature abused. Histamine concentrations decreased between 31% and 73% in Rihaakuru stored for 10months at either -80, 4 or 30°C. This appears to be a property of the product as histamine solutions are reported to be stable, at least under frozen storage. The risk of histamine food poisoning due to Rihaakuru may reduce during the storage of the product.