Survey of the biogenic amines in craft beer from the Chinese market and the analysis of the formation regularity during beer fermentation

Abstract

This study evaluated the levels of eight biogenic amines in 59 craft beers of five styles and monitored the changes during beer fermentation, showing that putrescine and tryptamine were the most abundant at maximum values of 46.14 mg/L and 89.97 mg/L, respectively. This research indicated for the first time that dark beer, such as Stout/Porter, displayed the highest total biogenic amine content due to considerable tryptamine accumulation, with a maximum value of 116.95 mg/L. The total biogenic amine level increased gradually during the segmental saccharification and main fermentation stages, representing the two critical control points for their formation during beer fermentation. This study provides a theoretical basis and technical guidance for the safe and standardized production of craft beer and the formulation of biogenic amines limit standards, which is highly significant for protecting the health of consumers.