Production of Biogenic Amines by Microflora Inoculated in Meats

The effects of microorganisms inoculated in beef, pork and chicken on the production of various biogenic amines (BA) were examined. Acinetobacter haemolyticus, Aeromonas hydrophila subsp. hydrophila, Alcaligenes faecalis subsp. faecalis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus alimentarius, Lactobacillus curvatus, Leuconostoc mesenteroides subsp. Mesenteroides, Proteus mirabilis, Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aerugina, Salmonella enteritidis and Salmonella typhimurium were inoculated into beef, pork and chicken and incubated for 24 h at optimum temperatures of each bacterium. In ground beef, total amount of amines (TAA) produced was highest in the sample inoculated with Bacillus cereus, followed by Enterobacter cloacae. In ground pork, TAA was highest in the sample inoculated with Alcaligenes faecalis, followed by Enterobacter cloacae, Proteus vulgaris and Bacillus cereus. TAA of chicken breast was highest in the sample inoculated with Alcaligenes faecalis, followed by Bacillus cereus and Lactobacillus alimentarius while in chicken leg was the sample inoculated with Proteus vulgaris, followed by Enterobacter aerogenes, Enterobacter cloacae and Alcaligenes faecalis. Among biogenic amines produced, cadaverine (CAD) was detected at the highest level, followed by putrescine (PUT) and tyramine (TYM), their order being reversed by the kind of microorganism in beef and pork. In chicken breast and leg, CAD level was still the highest but PUT, TYM or PHM was the second highest, depending upon the kind of microorganism inoculated. In total, Alcaligenes faecalis, Enterobacter cloacae and Bacillus cereus were ones that produced a larger amount of BAs regardless of meat sources from different species. (Asian-Aust. J. Anim. Sci. 2004. Vol 17, No. 10 : 1472-1478)