Histamine and Other Biogenic Amines and Bacterial Isolation in Retail Canned Anchovies

ABSTRACT: Histamine and biogenic amine contents in retail canned anchovies were determined. Bacterial strains were isolated, and their histamine‐producing capability was determined. The majority of canned anchovy products (80%) had histamine levels below the FDA guideline of 50 ppm. The sensory quality of products was relatively good. A few samples contained high levels of histamine (>1000 ppm). Overall, histamine contents in the products showed great lot‐to‐lot variations. Spermine and tyramine were commonly detected in all samples analyzed, regardless of their histamine contents. Bacterial counts in the products were mostly below the detection limit (10 2 CFU/g), and bacteria were frequently recovered with the enrichment of test samples in tryptic soy broth supplemented with 0.5% or 5% NaCl. Only Bacillus spp., the nonhistamine formers, were isolated from these test products. Prolific histamine‐forming bacteria were not detected in these canned anchovies.