Gc. Fletcher et al., LEVELS OF HISTAMINE AND HISTAMINE-PRODUCING BACTERIA IN SMOKED FISH FROM NEW-ZEALAND MARKETS, Journal of food protection, 61(8), 1998, pp. 1064-1070
Smoked fish has been the most commonly implicated product in presumpti
ve cases of scombroid poisoning in New Zealand. One hundred seven samp
les of smoked fish were purchased from Auckland retail markets between
July 1995 and March 1996, and their histamine and bacterial levels we
re determined. Eight samples, obtained from five of the nine retail ou
tlets sampled, had histamine levels which exceeded 50 mg/kg, the level
set by the FDA as an indicator of decomposition. Histamine levels in
only 2 samples (346.4 and 681.8 mg/kg) exceeded a hazard level of 200
mg/kg. Thirty-three of the smoked fish were held at 20 degrees C for 2
days, and 8 of these developed histamine levels above 50 mg/kg with 4
exceeding 200 mg/kg (maximum 1,659.4 mg/kg). The stored samples that
exceeded 200 mg/kg were all obtained from two outlets. Within or betwe
en fish species there were no consistent relationships between levels
of histamine in the samples and either the total aerobic plate counts
or the numbers of histamine-producing bacteria. To the contrary, there
was evidence that histamine had been formed prior to smoking and that
histamine-producing bacteria were eliminated during smoking.