Histamine Food Poisoning

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Toxicology
• Microbiology

Background:

• Histamine and other biogenic amines in food can cause food poisoning.
• Histamine is the only biogenic amine with regulatory limits in fish due to its potential for fatal outcomes.
• Fermented foods are also implicated in histamine intoxications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the factors influencing histamine presence in food.
• To discuss strategies for minimizing histamine occurrence.
• To highlight the need for further research on human exposure and health effects.

Main Methods:

• Literature review on histamine formation in food.
• Analysis of factors affecting biogenic amine production.
• Discussion of regulatory aspects and control strategies.

Main Results:

• Histamine levels depend on precursor amino acid availability, microbial decarboxylase activity, and growth conditions.
• Good raw material quality, hygienic processing, and histidine decarboxylase-negative starter cultures can reduce histamine.
• Individual sensitivity and detoxification activity influence poisoning symptoms.

Conclusions:

• Minimizing histamine in food involves controlling raw material quality, processing hygiene, and microbial factors.
• Further research is needed to understand human exposure and the health impacts of total biogenic amine intake.