Reducing Biogenic-Amine-Producing Bacteria, Decarboxylase Activity, and Biogenic Amines in Raw Milk Cheese by High-Pressure Treatments

Abstract

Biogenic amines may reach concentrations of public health concern in some cheeses. To minimize biogenic amine buildup in raw milk cheese, high-pressure treatments of 400 or 600 MPa for 5 min were applied on days 21 and 35 of ripening. On day 60, counts of lactic acid bacteria, enterococci, and lactobacilli were 1 to 2 log units lower in cheeses treated at 400 MPa and 4 to 6 log units lower in cheeses treated at 600 MPa than in control cheese. At that time, aminopeptidase activity was 16 to 75% lower in cheeses treated at 400 MPa and 56 to 81% lower in cheeses treated at 600 MPa than in control cheese, while the total free amino acid concentration was 35 to 53% higher in cheeses treated at 400 MPa and 3 to 15% higher in cheeses treated at 600 MPa, and decarboxylase activity was 86 to 96% lower in cheeses treated at 400 MPa and 93 to 100% lower in cheeses treated at 600 MPa. Tyramine, putrescine, and cadaverine were the most abundant amines in control cheese. The total biogenic amine concentration on day 60, which reached a maximum of 1.089 mg/g dry matter in control cheese, was 27 to 33% lower in cheeses treated at 400 MPa and 40 to 65% lower in cheeses treated at 600 MPa. On day 240, total biogenic amines attained a concentration of 3.690 mg/g dry matter in control cheese and contents 11 to 45% lower in cheeses treated at 400 MPa and 73 to 76% lower in cheeses treated at 600 MPa. Over 80% of the histidine and 95% of the tyrosine had been converted into histamine and tyramine in control cheese by day 60. Substrate depletion played an important role in the rate of biogenic amine buildup, becoming a limiting factor in the case of some amino acids.

Effect of high‐pressure treatments on microbial loads and physicochemical characteristics during refrigerated storage of raw milk Serra da Estrela cheese samples

“…HPP caused reductions in total aerobic meso-philic, between 0.47 and 1.20 log cycle reductions on HPP-treated cheese immediately after treatment, being this effect more considerable as the intensity of the pressure treatment increased. Similar results were reported for Casar cheese (manufactured from raw ewe milk) with 3 weeks of ripening, treated at 400 and 600 MPa for 5 min, by Calzada et al (2013), immediately after pressurisation, total viable counts were 0.88-1.33 log units lower than in the control cheese. At each time of storage, the total aerobic mesophilic counts in HPP samples were always below the counts in NP samples throughout storage ( Fig.…”

“…Similar results were reported for Casar cheese (manufactured from raw ewe milk) with 3 weeks of ripening, treated at 400 and 600 MPa for 5 min, by Calzada et al . (), immediately after pressurisation, total viable counts were 0.88–1.33 log units lower than in the control cheese. At each time of storage, the total aerobic mesophilic counts in HPP samples were always below the counts in NP samples throughout storage (Fig.…”

“…A similar behaviour was reported by Juan et al (2008) for 15 days ripened ewe cheese, who obtained 0.95 log reductions by HPP at 300 MPa per 10 min. In another work by Calzada et al (2013), it was reported 1.32-1.64 log reductions in LAB counts, immediately after pressurisation at 400 and 600 MPa for 5 min, respectively, for Casar cheese (produced from raw ewe milk) with 3 weeks of ripening. At each time of storage, the LAB counts in HPP cheese samples were lower than the value of NP samples, although not statistically significant for P300/10 at 42 and 100 days of storage (Fig.…”

Biogenic amines present in cheese – occurrence and threats

“…W Republice Słowacji przyjęto limit do 200 mg/kg dla zawartości histaminy i tyraminy w rybach i produktach rybnych, w Turcji dopuszcza się w rybach poziom histaminy do 200 mg/100 g, a w winach do 10 mg/kg (8). Netherlands Institute for Dairy Research rekomenduje dla mięsa i produktów mięsnych limit dla histaminy 100-200 mg/ kg (5,6,13,28,29,32). El-Kosi i wsp.…”

Histamine content in rennet ripening cheeses during storage at different temperatures and times

“…Histamine is a heterocyclic biogenic amine which can be formed in a large variety of types of food of animal origin, particularly in fish and cheeses. Histamine is a product of decarboxylation of histidine in a reaction, catalysed by bacterial decarboxylase (5,32). Cheeses are a favourable environment for the formation of this amine due to the presence of free amino acids and microorganisms releasing decarboxylases (4,19).…”