Iced and previously frozen albacore were monitored for histamine formation
and bacterial growth during storage at 0-37 degrees C, The optimum temperat
ure for histamine formation in albacore tuna (Thunnus alalunga) was 25 degr
ees C, and whole fish were more susceptible to histamine formation than dre
ssed fish at that temperature. Storage at 25 degrees C resulted in the high
est histamine level, 60.4 mg/100g in whole fish stored for 7 days. When alb
acore were frozen prior to storage, reduced amount of histamine was found a
t 7.14 mg/100 g after 7 day storage at 25 degrees C, only after decompositi
on became obvious. No histamine was found in any of the albacore samples st
ored in ice for 18 days.