ALLwell – high sensitivity ELISA kit for the detection of histamine in tuna, mackarel and other fish and foodstuff

Histamine is a product of the decomposition of histidine caused by the growth of certain bacteria in seafood. The amount of amine that is formed is a function of bacterial species, temperature and exposure time and can exceed 1,000 ppm (mg/kg). Fish containing high levels of histamine has been associated with many examples of poisoning commonly referred to as scombroid poisoning, a serious health problem for consumers. Toxic fish usually contain histamine levels above 200 ppm, but such fish can be randomly dispersed within a batch. For large fish, histamine is found at varying levels even within individual fish. Good quality fish contain less than 10 ppm of histamine, a level of 30 ppm indicates significant deterioration, and 50 ppm is considered evidence of defined decomposition. Histamine is also a problem in animal feed. Fishmeal that has been produced from materials that have been left to degrade before being processed may contain high levels of histamine and may be toxic. Elevated histamine levels (1,000 ppm) can cause gizzard erosion and black vomiting in poultry. This ELISA kit allows the determination of the level of histamine present in fish and can be used by processing companies in their HACCP program to address the risk of scombrotoxin formation.