National Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology (CEMB)
Abstract
Background: Storage of fish under refrigerated conditions from the time it is caught until when it is consumed has been found to be very important in reducing outbreaks of histamine poisoning.Methods: Low temperatures control bacterial histamine formation during fish processing. The shelf life of sardine (sardine sindensis) during storage at ambient temperature (33°C), ice box temperature (0°C) and freezing temperature (-7°C) were studied in terms of sensory and histamine production. The sensory acceptability limit was up to one day at ambient temperature and 11 days at ice storage condition. However, freezing storage had a good preserving effect on sensory acceptability at the end of experiment. The formation of histamine was determined at day 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 11, 14, 16 and 18 of experiment using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) fluorometeric method.Results: Histamine development had not exceeded the permissible level (200 mg/kg) recommended by the FAO (2012) during storage condition at -7°C throughout the experiment. At 0°C, histamine concentration was lower than safe level for up to 16 days (135 mg/kg). At ambient temperature, the sardine was spoiled on 3rd day and histamine concentration was found 500.48 mg/kg which was above the FAO recommended level for histamine.Conclusion: Freezing storage condition has a good preserving effect on sensory acceptability and histamine production and seems the best means of storage
