The FSSAI has issued a notice asking for suggestions, views, and comments from WTO- SPS Committee members within a period of 60 days from 2 March 2016 on the proposed draft related to standards for the list of histamine forming fish species and the limits of histamine level of fish and fishery products. In the Food Safety and Standards (Contaminants, Toxins, and Residues) Regulations, 2011the FSSAI has proposed to add a new sub-regulation Histamine in Fish and Fishery Products contaminants, Toxins and Residues. The FSSAI has also outlined the list of fish species that have the potential to cause histamine poisoning
List of fish that cause
Sl. No | Family | Scientific Name | Common Name |
1. | Carangidae | Alectis indica | Indian Threadfish |
Alepes spp. | Scad | ||
Atropus atropos | Cleftbelly trevally | ||
Carangoides bartholomaei | Yellow Jack | ||
Carangoides spp. | Trevally | ||
Caranx crysos | Blue runner | ||
Caranx spp. | Jack/Trevally | ||
Decapterus koheru | Koheru | ||
Decapterus russelli | Indian scad | ||
Decapterus spp. | Scad | ||
Elagatis bipinnulata | Rainbow Runner | ||
Megalaspis cordyla | Horse Mackerel/Torpedo Scad | ||
Nematistius pectoralis | Roosterfish | ||
Oligoplites saurus | Leather Jacket | ||
Pseudocaranx dentex | White trevally | ||
Scomberoides commersonnianus | Talang queenfish | ||
Scomberoides spp. | Leather Jacket/Queen Fish | ||
Selene spp. | Moonfish | ||
Seriola dumerili | Greater/Japanese Amberjack or Rudder Fish | ||
Seriola lalandi | Yellowtail Amberjack | ||
Seriola quinqueradiata | Japanese Amberjack | ||
Seriola rivoliana | Longfin Yellowtail | ||
Seriola spp. | Amberjack or Yellowtail | ||
Trachurus capensis | Cape Horse Mackerel | ||
Trachurus japonicas | Japanese Jack Mackerel | ||
Trachurus murphyi | Chilean Jack Mackerel | ||
Trachurus novaezelandiae | Yellowtail Horse Mackerel | ||
Trachurus spp. | Jack Mackerel/Horse Mackerel | ||
Trachurus trachurus | Atlantic Horse Mackerel | ||
Uraspis secunda | Cottonmouth jack | ||
2. | Chanidae | Chanos chanos | Milkfish |
3. | Clupeidae | Alosa pseudoharengus | Alewife |
Alosa spp. | Herring | ||
Amblygaster sirm | Spotted Sardinella | ||
Anodontostoma chacunda | Chacunda gizzard shad | ||
Brevoortia patronus | Gulf Menhaden | ||
Brevoortia spp. | Menhaden | ||
Brevoortia tyrannus | Atlantic Menhaden | ||
Clupea bentincki | Araucanian herring | ||
Clupea harengus | Atlantic herring | ||
Clupea pallasii pallasii | Pacific herring | ||
Clupea spp. | Pichard/Shad/Herring | ||
Dorosoma spp. | Gizaard Shad | ||
Ethmalosa fimbriata | Bonga Shad | ||
Ethmidium maculatum | Pacific Menhaden | ||
Etrumeus sadina | Red-eye round herring | ||
Harengula spp. | Sprat/Herring | ||
Harengula thrissina | Pacific flatiron herring | ||
Hilsa spp. | Shad | ||
Nematolosa spp. | Gizzard Shad | ||
Opisthonema libertate | Pacific thread herring | ||
Opisthonema spp | Thread Herring | ||
Opisthopterus tardoore | Tardoore | ||
Sardina pilchardus | European Pilchard | ||
Sardinella aurita | Round Sardinella | ||
Sardinella gibbosa | Gold stripe Sardinella | ||
Sardinella longiceps | Indian Oil Sardine | ||
Sardinella maderensis | Madeiran Sardinella | ||
Sardinella spp. | Sardine | ||
Sardinops sagax | South American Pilchard | ||
Sardinops spp. | South American Pilchard | ||
Spratelloides gracilis | Silver-stripe round herring | ||
Tenualosa ilisha | Hilsa shad | ||
Tenualosa spp. | Shad | ||
4. | Coryphaenidae | Coryphaena hippurus | Mahi-Mahi /Dolphin fish |
5. | Engraulidae | Anchoa spp. | Anchovy |
Anchoviella spp. | Anchovy | ||
Cetengraulis mysticetus | Pacific anchoveta | ||
Engraulis capensis | Southern African anchovy | ||
Engraulis encrasicolus | European anchovy | ||
Engraulis japonicus | Japanese anchovy | ||
Engraulis ringens | Peruvian anchovy |
Engraulis spp. | Anchovy | ||
Stolephorus spp. | Anchovy | ||
6. | Istiophoridae | Istiompax indica | Black Marlin |
Istiophorus albicans | Indo-Pacific sailfish | ||
Kajikia albida | Atlantic white marlin | ||
Kajikia audax | Striped Marlin | ||
Makaira mazara | Indo-Pacific blue marlin | ||
Makaira spp. | Marlin/Sailfish | ||
Tetrapturus spp. | Marlin/Spearfish | ||
Tetrapturus spp. | Spearfish | ||
7. | Mugilidae | Mugil cephalus | Flathead Grey Mullet |
8. | Pristigasteridae | Ilisha spp. | Ilisha/Pellona |
Pellona ditchella | Indian pellona | ||
9. | Scombridae | Acanthocybium solandri | Wahoo |
Auxis spp. | Bullet Tuna/Frigate Tuna | ||
Cybiosarda elegans | Leaping Bonito | ||
Euthynnus affinis | Little tuna or Kawakawa | ||
Euthynnus spp. | Bonito | ||
Gasterochisma melampus | Butterfly kingfish | ||
Grammatorcynus spp. | Short Mackerel | ||
Gymnosarda unicolor | Dogtooth tuna | ||
Katsuwonus pelamis | Skipjack Tuna | ||
Orcynopsis unicolor | Plain Bonito | ||
Rastrelliger brachysoma | Short Mackerel | ||
Rastrelliger kanagurta | Indian Mackerel | ||
Sarda spp | Bonito | ||
Scomber australasicus | Blue mackerel | ||
Scomber japonicas | Chub mackerel | ||
Scomber scombrus | Atlantic mackerel | ||
Scomber spp. | Mackerel | ||
Scomberomorus cavalla | King Mackerel | ||
Scomberomorus commerson | Narrow-barred Spanish mackerel | ||
Scomberomorus guttatus | Indo-Pacific king mackerel/Spotted Spanish Mackerel | ||
Scomberomorus niphonius | Japanese Spanish mackerel | ||
Scomberomorus spp. | Spanish Mackerel | ||
Scomeromorus lineolatus | Streaked seerfish | ||
Thunnus alalunga | Albacore Tuna | ||
Thunnus albacares | Yellowfin Tuna | ||
Thunnus atlanticus | Blackfin Tuna | ||
Thunnus maccoyi | Southern bluefin tuna | ||
Thunnus obesus | Bigeye Tuna | ||
Thunnus orientalis | Pacific bluefin tuna | ||
Thunnus spp. | Tuna | ||
Thunnus thynnus | Atlantic bluefin tuna | ||
Thunnus tonggol | Longtail Tuna | ||
10. | Xiphiidae | Xiphias gladius | Swordfish |
The table below outlines the limits of histamine level in fish and fishery products
Product Category | Applicable to | Histamine Level |
1. Raw/Chilled/Frozen Finfish | Species with high amount of free histidine (Listed fish species with potential to cause histamine fish poisoning) | n=9, c=2; m=100 mg/kg, M=200 mg/kg |
2. Dried/ Salted and Dried fishery products | n=9, c=2; m=100 mg/kg, M=200 mg/kg | |
3. Thermally Processed Fishery Products | n=9, c=2; m=100 mg/kg, M=200 mg/kg | |
4. Smoked fishery products | n=9, c=2; m=100 mg/kg, M=200 mg/kg | |
5. Fish Mince/Surimi and analogues | n=9, c=2; m=100 mg/kg, M=200 mg/kg | |
6. Battered and breaded fishery products | n=9, c=2; m=100 mg/kg, M=200 mg/kg | |
7. Other Ready to Eat fishery products | n=9, c=2; m=100 mg/kg, M=200 mg/kg | |
8. Other value added fishery products | n=9, c=2; m=100 mg/kg, M=200 mg/kg | |
9. Other fish based products | n=9, c=2; m=100 mg/kg, M=200 mg/kg | |
10. Fermented Fishery products | n=9, c=2; m=200 mg/kg, M=400 mg/kg | |
11. Fish Pickle
|
n=9, c=2; m=200 mg/kg, M=400 mg/kg |
Where:
n: Number of units comprising the sample
c: Maximum allowable number of defective sample units
m: Acceptable level in a sample
M: Specified level when exceeded in one or more samples would cause the lot to be rejected
Satisfactory, if the following requirements are fulfilled:
- The mean value observed is ≤ m
- A maximum of c/n values observed are between m and M
- no values observed exceed the limit of M,
Unsatisfactory, if the mean value observed exceeds m or more than c/n values are between m and M or one or more of the values observed are >M.”
About Histamine poisoning
Histamine poisoning is also known as scombroid poisoning. Scombroid causes chemical intoxication when fish or fishery products are ingested after bacteria has caused spoilage. A family of Scombridae fish which include tunas, skipjack, and yellow, and mackerel have larger quantities of a naturally occurring chemical called histidine in their flesh. Though some non- scombroid fish like sardines, herrings, pilchards, and marlin can also have histidine.
When the fish are exposed to high temperatures over a longer period of time then spoilage bacteria grow and produce an enzyme that can change the harmless amino acid called histidine into histamine and other amines which are toxic at higher levels. The process that can start when the fish die and can continue at any time thereafter at high-abuse temperatures at 21.1°C or higher. Spoilage bacteria might grow at a slower rate at 7.2°C but growth is most rapid at 32.2°C. If the temperature is lowered then it prevents bacteria from causing scombrotoxin.
Fish species that are prone to the development of histamine must help quickly chilled to ensure safety and quality. Histamine cannot be destroyed by cooking and so fish must be kept chilled at the right temperature. Presence of the toxin cannot be detected by sensory examination but it needs to be tested for chemicals in a food testing lab.
Symptoms of Histamine Food Poisoning
Histamine poisoning has symptoms like seafood allergic reactions and can often be mistaken for a fish, crustacean or shellfish allergic reaction.
- Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea
- Burning sensation or peppery taste in the mouth
- Hives, itching, red rash
- Light-headedness, dizziness or fainting
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Babalola Abisoye says
Very good and helpful information for my Research work on Histamine in Fish.
Babalola Abisoye says
Thank you.
FSH Team says
Thank you!