INTRODUCTION Biogenic Amines (BAs) are low molecular weight organic bases with biological activity that are formed in foods by either microbial decarboxylation of the corresponding amino acids or transamination of aldehydes and ketones by amino acid transaminases

Biogenic Amines (BAs) are low molecular weight organic bases with biological activity that are formed in foods by either microbial decarboxylation of the corresponding amino acids or transamination of aldehydes and ketones by amino acid transaminases [1]. The most important BAs including histamine, tyramine, tryptamine, putrescine, and cadaverine are formed from free amino acids namely histidine, tyrosine, tryptophane, ornithine and lysine, respectively. Spermidine and spermine arise from putrescine [2]. Putrescine, cadaverine, spermidine, and spermine have an aliphatic structure; histamine and tryptamine have a heterocyclic structure and tyramine and phenylethylamine have an aromatic structure [3]. Free amino acids either occur in foods or may be liberated through proteolysis. In addition to the availability of precursors (amino acids), BAs accumulation in foods requires the presence of microorganisms with amino acid decarboxylases and favorable conditions for their growth and decarboxylation activity. The concentrations of biogenic amines in foods have been suggested as indices for bacterial contamination in food [2].