The effect of ripening and storage conditions on the distribution of tyramine, putrescine and cadaverine in Edam-cheese

The aim of the work was to describe the development of selected biogenic amines (histamine, tyramine, putrescine and cadaverine) in 4 layers of Dutch-type cheese (Edam-cheese) depending on 3 ripening/storage regimes during a 98-day period. Biogenic amines were analysed by means of ion-exchange chromatography. A further goal was to identify microbial sources of biogenic amines in the material analysed. Phenotype characterization and repetitive sequence-based PCR fingerprinting were used to identify the isolated bacteria. The highest content of tyramine, putrescine and cadaverine was determined in cheeses stored in a ripening cellar at a temperature of 10 °C during the whole observation period. Lower biogenic amines content was determined in samples which were moved into a cold storage device (5 °C) after 38 days of storage in a ripening cellar (10 °C). The lowest concentrations of biogenic amines were detected in cheeses which were moved into a cold storage device (5 °C) after 23 days of storage in a ripening cellar (10 °C). During the 98-day period, histamine was not detected in any of the regimes. Within the cheeses analysed, non-starter lactic acid bacteria Lactobacillus curvatus, Lactobacillus casei/ paracasei and Lactobacillus plantarum were detected as the main producers of the biogenic amines tested. In starter bacteria Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis and Lactococcus lactis subsp. cremoris the decarboxylase activity tested was not detected.