Food Histamines Testing Service

Histamine (HA) is a biogenic amine, which is composed of decarbocarboxylate histidine. It is widely found in various foods and organisms, especially in fermented foods, and is the main substance that causes inflammation and allergic diseases.

A glass of red wine, a piece of fermented cheese or a few slices of ham is no problem for most people, but people with histamine intolerance may cause arrhythmia (tachycardia), migraine, anxiety, eyelid swelling, and stomach Intestinal discomfort (stomach pain) or skin rash and other allergy-like symptoms. Therefore, affected people should avoid eating foods containing histamine.

Histamine is an indicator of bacterial growth. The histamine in fish and other products is produced by bacteria degrading histidine. If the raw materials used to produce fish meal have been degraded before processing, the processed fish meal may contain large amounts of histamine.

Excessive amounts of histamine can also cause food poisoning. Almost all foods contain histamine, and the content varies greatly depending on the variety or storage time. The histamine intervention level for domestic and imported fish set by the FDA is 50 parts per million (ppm). The EU stipulates that the histamine content in scombroid fish shall not exceed 100 mg/kg, histamine in other foods shall not exceed 100 mg/kg, and tyramine shall not exceed 100~800 mg/kg. The product manufacturer knows in advance whether the food contains histamine and its content to ensure that the food product meets the regulatory restrictions of the place of production or sale, especially the import and export inspection of aquatic products. In addition, prior notification can help consumers choose their suitable products.

Alfa Chemistry has developed rapid detection technologies suitable for food histamines testing services for manufacturers, enterprises, and government organizations. We strictly abide by the quality assurance/quality control plans and regulatory requirements of each country and region to provide you with support. Including but not limited to the following standards and methods: ISO, FDA, AOAC, EU, GB/T and SN.

Food Histamines Testing Service Technology Platform

The analysis procedure of histamine in food usually includes sample preparation and extraction, cleaning, fractionation and detection/quantification.

Sample Extraction Methods:

• Liquid phase extraction (LPE)
• Solid phase extraction (SPE).

Sample Detection Technology:

• High-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS)
  The detection limit is 0.2~2.0μg/kg, and the quantification limit is 0.6~6.0μg/kg. The specific value depends on the tested substance.
• Adjustable surface enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) based on high performance thin layer chromatography-fluorescence optical density (HPTLC-FLD)
• HPLC-UV

At Alfa Chemistry, our analytical scientists are experienced in food histamines testing service. After communicating with you about the testing scheme, we will implement it within a quick turnaround time and provide you with an analysis report. If you have any questions or specific needs, do not hesitate to contact us.