Changes in histamine and microbiological analyses in fresh and frozen tuna muscle during temperature abuse

• Published in: Food additives and contaminants 2007-08, Vol.24 (8), p.820-832
• Main Authors: Economou, V, Brett, M.M, Papadopoulou, C, Frillingos, S, Nichols, T
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; bacteria; Bacteria - classification; Bacteria - isolation & purification; Bacteria - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; cold storage; Enterococcus hirae; fish products; food contamination; Food industries; food microbiology; Food Preservation; food processing; food safety; freeze-thaw cycles; frozen fish; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General aspects; heat; Histamine; Histamine - analysis; Hygiene and safety; Klebsiella oxytoca; microbial contamination; Morganella morganii; Refrigeration; Staphylococcus hominis; storage; storage temperature; Temperature; temperature abuse; Thunnus alalunga; toxicity; tuna; Tuna - microbiology
• ISSN: 0265-203X; 1464-5122
• DOI: 10.1080/02652030701278321

Temperature abuse of tuna (Thunnus alalunga) was carried out in order to assess the histamine buildup in fish-processing facilities where fish can be exposed to high temperatures for short periods of time. Histamine production was studied in tuna loins under different storage and abuse conditions. Tuna was stored at 0-2°C, 3-4°C, and 6-7°C, and abused for 2 h daily at 20°C and 30°C for 7-12 days. Loins abused at 30°C for 2 h daily contained potentially toxic histamine concentrations (67-382 mg kg-1) when stored at a low refrigeration temperature (0-2°C), whereas when stored at 6-7°C, the loins contained highly toxic histamine concentrations (544.5-4156.6 mg kg-1). Lower histamine concentrations (23-48 mg kg-1 in loins stored at 0-2°C and 124.7-2435.8 mg kg-1 in loins stored at 6-7°C) were observed in temperature-abused loins that were initially frozen. An increase over time was observed in most microbial counts tested. Bacteria isolated from the temperature-abused loins showed a varied ability of histamine production, with Morganella morganii, Klebsiella oxytoca, Staphylococcus hominis, and Enterococcus hirae being the most active histamine-producing bacteria.