Some factors influencing biogenic amines and polyamines content in Dutch-type semi-hard cheese

Biogenic amines (BA; histamine, tyramine, tryptamine, phenylethylamine, cadaverine) and polyamines (PA; putrescine, spermidine, spermine) content was determined in Dutch-type semi-hard cheese (ripening 176 days) using an experimental design two producers x two starter cultures x two fat contents. Content of quantitatively most important BA (tyramine and histamine) and PA (putrescine) in the cheese samples at the end of ripening varied in the range 5-392 and 22-59, and 1-132 mg kg(-1), respectively. Time of ripening accounted for (P < 0.01) 67, 67 and 76% of the explained variability of histamine, tyramine, and putrescine content, respectively. Histamine, tyramine, and putrescine content in cheese (Y, mg kg(-1)) increased (P < 0.01) linearly with increasing time of ripening (X, days): Y = 0.24X-1.3 (R-2 = 0.28), Y = 0.69X-18.9 (R-2 = 0.24) and Y = 0.16X-1.3 (R-2 = 0.04), respectively. Biogenic amines (sum of BA) were produced more than three times more rapidly with increasing time of ripening in the edge part of the cheese than in the core part. Both histamine and tyramine content in cheese was negatively correlated (P < 0.01) with counts of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and counts of total anaerobes, respectively. Accordingly, only 3% of both LAB and enterococci (established tyramine producers) isolates were positive on tyrosine decarboxylase gene sequences using the PCR method.