SIGNIFICANCE OF BIOGENIC-AMINES TO FOOD SAFETY AND HUMAN HEALTH

Biogenic amines are natural antinutrition factors and are important fr om a hygienic point of view as they have been implicated as the causat ive agents in a number of food poisoning episodes, and they are able t o initiate various pharmacological reactions. Histamine, putrescine, c adaverine, tyramine, tryptamine, beta-phenylethylamine, spermine, and spermidine are considered to be the most important biogenic amines occ urring in foods. These amines are designated as biogenic because they are formed by the action of living organisms. Histamine has been impli cated as the causative agent in several outbreaks of food poisoning, w hile tyramine and beta-phenylethylamine have been proposed as the init iators of hypertensive crisis. The toxicity of biogenic amines to chic ks in terms of loss of weight and mortality was also reported. The tox icity of histamine appeared to be enhanced by the presence of other am ines such as cadaverine, putrescine, and tyramine. Biogenic amines may also be considered as carcinogens because of their ability to react w ith nitrites to form potentially carcinogenic nitrosamines. The biogen ic amine content of various foods and feed have been widely studied an d found in cheese, fish and meat products, eggs and mushrooms. Food su bstances that have been prepared by a fermentative process, or have be en exposed to microbial contamination during aging or storage, are lik ely to contain amines. Alcoholic beverages such as beers can contain b iogenic amines, as do some other fermented foods such as sauerkraut an d soy bean products. Amines were also considered as endogenous to plan t substance that is commonly used for food, where some fruits and vege tables were found to contain high concentrations of various amines. (C ) 1997 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of the Canadian Ins titute of Food Science and Technology.