title: Histamine levels in commercially important fresh and processed fish of Oman with reference to international standards.
abstract: Histamine was investigated in fresh (378), frozen (441), canned (290) and dried (24) fish samples of scombroid and non-scombroid species of Oman using a high performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. Of the 1133 fish samples tested, histamine was detected in 551 samples with a detection rate of about 41.8% among fresh fish, 61.0% of frozen fish, 78.9% of canned fish and 91.6% of dried fish samples and the mean histamine levels were 2.6, 5.8, 3.1 and 104mgkg(-1), respectively. A total of 3.7% and 0.79% of the total samples exceeded the FDA and EU regulatory limits for histamine. Imported dried anchovies contained high histamine levels. The study confirms that post catching and commercialisation practices of seafood are adequate, warranting good quality fish and may not cause histamine risk to consumer in terms of human diet. While necessary monitoring may be done for imported dried fish products.
authors.affiliation: Fishery Quality Control Center, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries Wealth, Post box: 427, 100 Muscat, Oman. yesucift@rediffmail.com
authors.forename: Poulose
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yesudhason
authors.forename: Mehdia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Zidjali
authors.forename: Alia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Zidjali
authors.forename: Moza
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Busaidi
authors.forename: Aaliah
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Waili
authors.forename: Nashwa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Al-Mazrooei
authors.forename: Saoud
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Al-Habsi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005396:Fish Products / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards; D005399:Fishes; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000592:standards; D006632:Histamine / Q000032:analysis*; D009850:Oman; D017747:Seafood / Q000032:analysis* / Q000191:economics / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D006632:Histamine