Biogenic amine levels in dry fermented sausages produced and sold in Greece

The levels of biogenic amines (BA) in 40 samples of fermented sausages manufactured and sold in Greece were determined by HPLC. Putrescine and tyramine concentrations (mg/kg) ranged from 0 to 492 (median: 176.6) and from 4 to 381 (median: 175.2), respectively. Histamine, cadaverine, tryptamine, β-phenyl-ethylamine, spermidine and spermine contents were usually lower. However, 37% of the examined samples exceeded the toxicity limit of 100 mg/kg legally set for histamine in fish. Results suggest that an improvement of production technology and raw materials hygienic quality used for manufacturing various types of Greek fermented sausages is necessary, in order to ensure the quality and safety of these products with respect to their BA content.