FORMATION OF BIOGENIC-AMINES DURING THE MATURITY PROCESS OF RAW MEAT-PRODUCTS, FOR EXAMPLE OF CERVELAT SAUSAGE

The raw meat product cervelat sausage with a diameter of 90 mm was inv estigated during maturation and storage over a period of about 12 week s. The examination was carried out by ion exchange chromatography (ami no acid analyzer) and included the amines ethylamine, propylamine, but ylamine, putrescine, histamine, cadaverine, tyramine, beta-phenylethyl amine, spermidine and spermine. In addition, the starter bacteria cult ures varied according to manufacturer. Over the duration of investigat ion, five different production batches were observed in parallel. Duri ng the maturity process and storage, after 87 days, tyramine (58.9 mg kg(-1)) showed a clear dominance, followed by spermine (34.1 mg kg(-1) ), putrescine (26.1 mg kg(-1)) and spermidine (8.7 mg kg(-1)), if star ter bacteria culture 1 was used. Other amines were not detected. The u se of starter bacteria culture 2 led, after 87 days, to the highest co ntent of putrescine (244.1 mg kg(-1)), followed by tyramine (119.2 mg kg(-1)), histamine (52.9 mg kg(-1)), spermine (37.5 mg kg(-1)) and spe rmidine (9.2 mg kg(-1)). With the use of starter bacteria culture 3, f or spermine and spermidine a comparable behavior was shown to that wit h culture 1 or 2. After 87 days, putrescine reached the highest value of 484.2 mg kg(-1), followed by tyramine (119.4 mg kg(-1)) and histami ne (111.0 mg kg(-1)). Cadaverine (36.9 mg kg(-1)) could also be determ ined. As an accompanying investigation, the parameters pH, water activ ity (a(W)) and microbial count (lactobacilli, enterobacteria, staphylo cocci and yeast) were determined. An investigation of the sections cen ter-middle-edge showed that the content of amines increases to its hig hest values in the middle. The edge showed the lowest content. This be havior correlates with the a(W) distribution of a raw sausage. (C) 199 7 Elsevier Science Ltd.