42-4 |
Histamine levels in fresh fish, a quality index |
R. B. MORENO and E. A. Torres. Nutrition - Faculty of Public Health, Univ. of São Paulo, Av. Dr. Arnaldo, 715 HNT, Sao Paulo, SP, 01246-904, Brazil Despite of fish is an important and good quality source of protein, vitamin and minerals, it presents fast deterioration, when enzymes can be formed by bacterial growth, and can generate bioactive amines, including histamine, one of the most studied. The consumption of food with high level amines can cause foodborn disease and intoxication. Therefore, the quantification of amines in fish is used as quality index. In Brazil, since 1999, this analysis became an important tool for a sanitary surveillance. Due to the lack of data, for commercialized fish, the present work was aimed to evaluate the histamine levels in fresh common commercialized fish. Sardines (Sardinella brasiliensis), form sea species, belonging to the Clupeidae family were bought in a Central Entrepôt Food (CEAGESP) in the city of São Paulo, SP Brazil, during second term of 1999. Samples were constituted of triturated filets, extremely homogenized. Forty samples were immediately analyzed for amines content and other fish characteristics or freshness. Each sample was analyzed in triplicate. The histamine analysis was made by the fluorimetric method, AOAC (1995). Low concentrations of histamine were found in all samples, with an average of 4,14 mg +1,92 of free histamine / 1000 g of fish. These data are in agreement with both limits recommend by the Brazilian Food Law and the literature data. Which are considered neither unsafe nor poisonous. Therefore, fish commercialized at CEAGESP of São Paulo, for parameters analyzed here, showed a good quality. The manipulators presented a good handling practice as well as the environment and the equipments were very appropriated for the quality of the fish. The major factors that could have played an important role, into the fish quality were: utilization of low temperature for keeping it and use of ice prepared with treated water, at all stages of the chain commercialization.
Session 42, Seafood Technology: Safety, Processing
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