Bacterial formation of histamine in jack mackerel (Trachurus symmetricus)

Peak histamine concentrations of 0.023, 0.031 and 0.027 g histamine/100 g muscle and maximal bacteria concentrations of 1.75, 1.59 and 0.423 g dry cells/100 g muscle were observed in muscles of jack mackerel stored at 25, 15 and 5C, respectively. Incubated fish homogenates suggest rate and transport limitations in histamine formation in muscle. The Mulchandani model predicted bacterial growth in muscle. The Luedeking and Piret expression fitted histamine formation in muscle, a values were 3.0 x 10(-3), 1.23 x 10(-2) and 4.17 x 10(-2) g histamine/g dry cells, while beta-values were 4.5 x 10(-4), 8.0 x 10(-5) and 0 g histamine/g dry cells x h at 25, 15, and 5C, respectively. The model predicts that jack mackerel could be stored from 4.5 to 5.5 days in ice, from 1 to 2 days at 15C andfrom 17 h to 2 days at 25C before fishmeal quality might be affected.