Bioactive amines in chicken breast and thigh after slaughter and during storage at 4±1°C and in chicken-based meat products

The levels of bioactive amines in chicken meat were determined. Immediately after slaughter, spermine and spermidine were detected in red and white meats. Spermine was the prevalent amine-70% of total. Low levels of histamine were also detected in thighs. During storage at 4 +/- 1 degreesC, there was a decrease in spermine, spermidine levels remained constant, and putrescine, cadaverine, histamine and tyramine were formed. At 15 days, higher levels of amines were found in breast compared to thigh. An index based on ratio of the polyamines spermidine/spermine levels was considered appropriate for the evaluation of chicken meat quality. Chicken-based meat products (mortadella, frankfurters, sausage, meatballs, hamburger and nuggets) were analyzed for bioactive amines for the first time. Nuggets were the only products with amine profiles similar to fresh chicken meat. There was a prevalence of spermidine over spermine for most of the products, suggesting the incorporation of significant amounts of vegetable protein in the formulations. Sausage contained higher biogenic amine levels than the other products. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.