LIQUID-CHROMATOGRAPHIC DETERMINATION OF HISTAMINE IN FISH, SAUERKRAUT, AND WINE - INTERLABORATORY STUDY

An interlaboratory study of the liquid chromatographic (LC) determinat ion of histamine in fish, sauerkraut, and wine was conducted. Diminute d and homogenized samples were suspended in water followed by clarific ation of extracts with perchloric acid, filtration, and dilution with water, After LC separation on a reversed-phase C-18 column with phosph ate buffer (pH 3.0)-acetonitrile (875 + 125, v/v) as mobile phase, his tamine was measured fluorometrically (excitation, 340 nm; emission, 45 5 nm) in samples and standards after postcolumn derivatization with o- phthaldialdehyde (OPA), Fourteen samples (including 6 blind duplicates and 1 split level) containing histamine at about 10-400 mg/kg or mg/L were analyzed singly according to the proposed procedure by 11 labora tories. Results from one participant were excluded from statistical an alysis. For all samples analyzed, repeatability relative standard devi ations varied from 2.1 to 5.6%, and reproducibility relative standard deviations ranged from 2.2 to 7.1%. Average recoveries of histamine fo r this concentration range varied from 94 to 100%.