Biogenic amine formation by poultry-associated spoilage and pathogenic bacteria

The production of biogenic amines by 50 poultry-associated bacterial strains (25 Pseudomonas, 13 Salmonella and 12 Listeria) was investigated on amine agar plates containing lysine, histidine, ornithine, phenylalanine, tryptophan and tyrosine. Seventy-four per cent of all the strains produced cadaverine and putrescine, while phenylethylamine, histamine, tyramine and tryptamine were produced by 72, 56, 34 and 24% of strains, respectively. Different patterns of biogenic amine production amongst the three bacterial genera tested were apparent as well as amongst strains of the same genus. This study highlighted a high incidence of biogenic amine-producing bacterial strains associated with poultry.