Histamine is a chemical in the body that acts as a messenger in the immune system. If you have allergies, an allergen triggers histamine production. When this happens, histamine over activates, producing allergy symptoms like sneezing, itchy and watery eyes, and rashes.  Histamine is also present in some foods. High histamine foods are often aged, fermented, or soured. They include dairy products, specific fruits and vegetables,fish and fish products, andprocessed meats, and alcohol.
Most histamine-forming bacteria require temperatures above +15°C for their growth, the most active growth at elevated temperatures (optimally +30°C). In some cases, when the histamine content is ten times higher than the maximum permissible level, the fish can acquire a pungent taste. Histamine poisoning can be fatal.
The main symptoms of elevated histamine levels are nausea, diarrhea, skin rash, and headache. Usually these phenomena pass quickly, as the liver destroys histamine. Sometimes people who have had diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver, viral hepatitis, and chronic urticaria are more susceptible to the effects of histamine, as are those who take certain medications, such as isoniazid, which is used to treat tuberculosis. In this case, the ability of the liver to destroy histamine is reduced.

Determination Histamine in food

In recent years, for the analysis of biogenic amines, chromatographic methods such as gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography and capillary electrophoresis are mainly used, spectroscopic and electrochemical methods are used to a lesser extent. Test systems are also among the common ones.

Recently, a more convenient enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been widely used in routine laboratory practice for the quantitative and sensitive determination of histamine in fish.

06 February 2023, Monday | 603