Determination of biogenic amines in fresh unpacked and vacuum-packed beef during storage at 4°C

Biogenic amines, putrescine, cadaverine, and histamine were determined in unpacked and vacuum-packed beef, during storage at 4 degreesC for 12 and 35 days, respectively, under the same conditions. Analysis by High Performance Liquid Chromatography in both kind of samples, showed variation of cadaverine and histamine with an increasing tendency to a definite increase of putrescine. In unpacked samples, maximum mean contents for each amine reached 10.4, 5.2 mug/g for putrescine and cadaverine, respectively (12th day) and 2.2 mug/g for histamine (5th day). The total amine content reached 16.5 mug/g (12th day). After 8 days of storage, organoleptic fall-off began and, on the 12th day, all samples were disqualified. In vacuum packs, amine levels increased after 19 days. Maximum levels were determined for putrescine on the 35th day (36.3 mug/g), for cadaverine on the 26th day (28.9 mug/g) and for histamine on the 35th day (19.0 mug/g). Although the vacuum-packed beef was organoleptically acceptable up to 35 days, the total amine levels were greater than 5 mug/g after the 12th day, indicating a leveling off of quality. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.