Histamine intolerance: food

See the list with histamine in food (and other biogenic amines and polyamine).

TOP-10

Foods most frequently reported to cause adverse effects are:
(1) alcoholic beverages (especially red wine)
(2) cheese (especially hard cheeses like Emmental cheese)
(3) chocolate
(4) Salami and other cured sausages
(5) nuts
(6) tomatoes
(7) strawberries, citrus fruits and other histamine liberators
(8) sauerkraut
(9) spinach
(10) fish

Source: Jarisch.

UNDERLYING TRIGGERS

(1) histamine in food,
(2) histamine liberators in food,
(3) DAO blockers in food,
(4) DAO competitors in food.

Histamine is produced from histidine.

Fish species with high amount of histidine

Scombridae: mackerel, tuna, bonito
Clupeidae: herring, sardine
Engraulidae: anchovy
Coryfenidae:
Pomatomidae: Bluefish
Scombresosidae:

Legal concentration limits in fish and fish products: Europe

STAGE WHERE THE CRITERION APPLIES: Products placed on the market during their shelf-life.

FOOD CATEGORY: Fishery products from fish species associated with a high amount of histidine.
UNSATISFACTORY IF:
- The mean value > 100 mg histamine/kg
- Or more than 2/9 values are between 100 and 200 mg histamine/kg
- Or one or more of the values > 200 mg histamine/kg

FOOD CATEGORY: Fishery products which have undergone enzyme maturation treatment in brine, manufactured from fish species associated with a high amount of histidine.
UNSATISFACTORY IF:
- The mean value > 200 mg histamine/kg
- Or more than 2/9 values are between 200 and 400 mg histamine/kg
- Or one or more of the values > 400 mg histamine/kg

Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 of 15 November 2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuff

Legal concentration limits in fish and fish products: USA

Limit is 50 ppm (= 50 mg/kg).

U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Fish and Fisheries Products Hazards and Controls Guidance, Chapter 7 Scombrotoxin (histamine) formation, (June 2001)