News

Go back

01.07.2019 - Foods

Histamine poisoning from tuna

In 2018, the most common cause of histamine poisoning was determined by the Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Offices of Baden-Württemberg to be spoiled tuna. This is due to the fact that during the spoilage of tuna meat, bacterial metabolic products are produced which can be toxic to humans. This particularly includes the biogenic amine histamine. The toxic threshold value for histamine is around 100 mg upon oral intake.

The main reason for complaints about tuna and tuna pizza in 2018 was a high histamine content. Very high histamine levels (up to 3070 mg/kg) were associated with a very strong microbial load in the individual samples. Tuna meat in cans is practically sterile due to the manufacturing process. The strong microbial loads and consequently high histamine levels result from microbial contamination. This is facilitated by improper handling and storage, which can lead to rapid microbial growth after opening the can.

A particular complaint sample submitted to CVUA Stuttgart was a tuna pizza. The complainant experienced stomach pain and nausea just 20 minutes after consumption, followed shortly by vomiting and diarrhea. The toxin laboratory of CVUA Stuttgart detected high concentrations of histamine in the remnants of the tuna pizza. Large amounts of histamine were also found in the tuna meat from opened cans that were still available in the restaurant kitchen. Although the spoilage pathogens were completely inactivated by the baking process, the histamine formed through protein breakdown was not. Fully cooked products are generally considered microbiologically safe, but unfortunately, as this case shows, this does not apply to tuna pizza.

In our Tentamus laboratories, we regularly conduct investigations for histamine and microbial load in tuna. We provide quick and reliable results.

Our customer advisors are happy to assist you with any questions.

Source: CVUA Stuttgart