Determination of Biogenic Amines in Sichuan-Style Spontaneously Fermented Sausages

The qualitative and quantitative profile of biogenic amines in 30 samples of Sichuan-style spontaneously fermented sausages sold in Sichuan retail markets was studied by HPLC. Tryptamine, phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, and spermidine were analyzed by UV detection after pre-column derivatization with dansyl chloride. There were wide ranges of different biogenic amines in the samples, except spermidine. The results showed that the histamine was the major biogenic amines, followed by tyramine and cadaverine, which have a mean value of 196.06 mg/kg (ranging from 114.33 to 327.35 mg/kg), 164.67 mg/kg (ranging from 88.84 to 285.89 mg/kg), and 141.65 mg/kg (ranging from 19.14 to 376.46 mg/kg), respectively. The toxicity limit of histamine is 100 mg/kg, where all of the samples exceeded this limit. None of the samples of total biogenic amines content exceeded 1000 mg/kg. The results showed that the amounts of biogenic amines in Sichuan-style spontaneously fermented sausages sold in Sichuan retail markets may pose a potential health risk for sensitive individuals. This suggested that it is necessary to improve the production techniques and the raw materials' hygienic quality, to ensure the quality and safety of this fermented sausages with respect to their biogenic amine content.