Effect of some external factors on the content of biogenic amines and polyamines in a smear-ripened cheese

Ripening cheeses belong to the risky product category due to the formation/presence of biogenic amines (BA) and polyamines (PA). Various ambient and technological factors can affect the content of these toxicologically important substances in ripening cheeses. The aim of the study was to assess the safety of a smear-ripened cheese with regard to BA and PA. The content of amines was determined in cheeses produced in two shapes (discs and bars) during the winter, spring, and summer seasons, and stored until the age of 66 days at 5 and 20 A degrees C. Storage temperature, shape, cheese age, and season accounted on average for 46, 26, 15, and 13 % of the explained variability in biogenic amines content. Tyramine, cadaverine, and putrescine content in cheeses increased (P < 0.001) during storage by 13.5, 14.6, and 9.7 mg.kg(-1).day(-1). Tyramine content was twice as high (P < 0.05) in the disc-shaped cheeses (834 mg.kg(-1)) as compared to the bars (419 mg.kg(-1)). Average tyramine, cadaverine, and putrescine content in cheeses stored at 20 and 5 A degrees C was 1,332 and 353, 1,416 and 127, and 784 and 255 mg.kg(-1), respectively. Higher counts of both lactic acid bacteria (8.22 vs. 7.63 log cfu g(-1); P < 0.05) and enterococci (6.33 vs. 6.02 log cfu g(-1); P < 0.05) were found in the cheeses stored at 5 A degrees C in comparison to 20 A degrees C. It was concluded that high-risky consumers should store this type of cheese at refrigerated temperature for no longer than 2 weeks and to favor the bar-shaped products.