Biogenic amines (BAs) can be naturally present in several foods. They are mainly produced in large amounts by the activity of microorganisms’ amino acid decarboxylases. The BAs content has been associated to the quality of raw material and to fermentation or spoilage processes. The aims of the present study were to asses: i) the content of BAs (single and total value) in tuscan traditional cheeses and sausages; ii) the BAs content in salame toscano and salame garfagnino dry sausages just differing in cubing lard and, iii) in traditional pecorino cheese, in the core and external part, produced with raw milk during ripening time; iiii) the decarboxylation activity of some microorganism isolated from traditional products and their production of BAs. The BAs content was quantified by an HPLC-UV method. Tyramine was the major amine detected and quantized in cheeses and sausages, followed by putrescine and cadaverine. Among the products tested the dry sausages displayed the highest total content of BAs. Tyramine, putrescine and spermine were the most frequently occurring BAs in the two kinds of dry sausages differing in Garfagnino sausage showed the highest total content of BAs, increasing during ripening time.
The BAs content detected in pecorino cheese was significantly higher in the core than in the external part. The total content of BAs, increased in both the areas during ripening time.
Enterococci and Enterobacteriaceae strains, isolated in this study, showed a high decarboxylases activity for tyramine and cadaverine/putrescine production, respectively Conversely, lactic acid bacteria did not show decarboxylation activity
