Occupational histamine poisoning by fish flour: a case report

Area of Science:

• Food Safety
• Occupational Health
• Toxicology

Background:

• Histamine poisoning from fish products, particularly via inhalation and skin contact, is infrequently documented.
• Spoiled fish flour poses a potential occupational hazard, with varying histamine contamination levels.
• Allergy-like symptoms can manifest rapidly following exposure to contaminated food products.

Purpose of the Study:

• To report a case of occupational histamine poisoning from spoiled fish flour.
• To investigate the link between fish flour contamination and worker health symptoms.
• To emphasize the need for established histamine level regulations in fish products.

Main Methods:

• A case study involving 20 harbor workers handling fish flour from different colored bags.
• Clinical observation of symptoms in workers exposed to fish flour.
• Chemical analysis using thin-layer chromatography to determine histamine content in fish flour samples.

Main Results:

• Workers handling fish flour from blue bags (510 mg/100 g) developed acute allergy-like symptoms (skin, eye, gastrointestinal, respiratory, cardiac).
• Workers handling fish flour from black bags (50 mg/100 g) experienced only minimal eye irritation.
• Histamine levels were significantly higher in the contaminated blue-bagged fish flour.

Conclusions:

• Spoiled fish flour with high histamine content can cause severe occupational poisoning through inhalation and skin contact.
• The findings underscore the critical need for setting and enforcing maximum permissible histamine levels in fish flour.
• Implementing strict handling protocols and personal protective measures is essential when dealing with potentially contaminated fish products.