Sensory quality and histamine formation during controlled decomposition of tuna (Thunnus thynnus)

Histamine production was studied during controlled tunafish decomposition, at 0, 8. and 20°C. The influence of the location of incidence of histidine decarboxylating bacteria were also considered. By the time of sensory rejection, histamine levels in tunafish sections stored at 0 and 20°C were still below the hazard levels and the allowable level established by both the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Union. Toxic amounts were only formed after the tunafish was considered organoleptically unsuitable for human consumption. However, at 8°C, levels of histamine between 100 and 200 me/100 g of fish were found before tuna reached the rejection point. Hence, physical appearance was not a good criterion for estimating the the shelf life and especially the histamine-related health hazard when tuna was stored 8°C, a common temperature in many home refrigerators.