The amine content of sausages at 3 and 30 days of ripening was determined a
nd correlated with the microbial flora. The putrescine, cadaverine, tyramin
e, histamine contents were higher at 30 than at 3 days whereas that of phen
ylethylamine was lower. A high content of histamine (150 mu g.g(-1) and 125
mu g.g(-1)) was found in the sausages from two industrial sources. The hig
hest contents of putrescine (410 mu g.g(-1)) and tyramine (267 mu g.g-(1)),
were found in the sausages with the highest microbial count (yeasts, cocci
Gram positive, Pseudomonas). The production of these two amines was correl
ated (r = 0.78). The amine content and bacterial count were not highly corr
elated. No microbial strain produced high levels of tryptamine, cadaverine,
putrescine, histamine. Some strains of Enterococcus, Lactobacillus curvatu
s or Staphylococcus carnosus produced tyramine and phenylethyamine.