7 - Biogenic amines in fermented vegetables: food safety issues

Abstract

Biogenic amines (BAs) are essentially nitrogenous compounds, organic and basic in nature. They participate in several biochemical roles with both favorable and unfavorable effects on human health. BAs are detected in both raw and processed foods and can be used as an indicator of food hygienic quality index. Traditional fermented foods, associated BAs, and their implications on human health are well documented in literature. Among the traditional fermented foods, fermented vegetables that are low in BA content have gained popularity in recent years because of culinary properties and nutrition. The microorganisms with probiotic potential significantly add to the nutritional value of various fermented vegetables and reduce the BA contents. The controlled fermentation conditions, packaging, additives, appropriate use of starter culture, modulation of strain determinant, and regulating gene of inhabited microorganism at transcription level can regulate BA synthesis in fermented vegetables. In this review, the critical vision on several aspects of BAs in fermented vegetables, i.e., the risk evaluation, detection by molecular techniques, and the strategies to prevent and/or removal of BAs are discussed.