© 2004 Santoso
Posted 1 February 2004
Makalah pribadi
Pengantar
ke Falsafah Sains (PPS702)
Sekolah
Pasca Sarjana / S3
Institut
Pertanian Bogor
Januari
2004
Dosen:
Prof Dr Ir Rudy C Tarumingkeng
Histamine Content in Tuna and Changes
During Processing
Of Canned Tuna
By:
SANTOSO
C 561030144
Abstract
A review on
tuna for export with respect to histamine content was performed and an
assessment was carried out to three canning factories. These factories were located
in East Java (A), Bali (B) and North Sulawesi (C).
Histamine contents were assessed along various stages
of their processing.
Results showed that
histamine contents changed during processing of canned tuna in both A and B
factories and that they increased significantly especially after steaming. In
contrast, decreasing histamine content was noted
during processing of canned tuna at factory C. These results seem to stern from
the fact that a lot of raw material was processed by factories A and B.
Histamine was probably produced during delays along the processing line. This
was in contrast to factory C in which a special tuna fish was
processed for the study and only a small quantity of fish was going
through at the time.
1.
Introduction
Tuna is regarded as one of the most important fishery products,
and plays an important role in earning foreign exchange, especially in time of
an economy crisis occurring since 1998. Tuna landed mostly goes to freezing,
canning factories as well as chilling. Total landed tuna in 2003
approximated ton and some of them was distributed for export markets, such as Japan, USA and
EU. Canned tuna production in Indonesia has increased during the last ten years
and many factories are trying to increase their production. During the same period many factories were established at some places in
Indonesia. Various parameters are used to determine
the quality of canned tuna; but a specific parameter that reflects the hygienic
condition at the canned tuna factory is histamine content. High histamine
levels are obviously found in fresh or frozen tuna when they are spoiled and in
other scromboid fish which has
high levels of histidine free-amino acid in their muscle
tissues. Studies conducted have showed that histamine formation from histidine was caused by an histidine
decarboxilase enzyme activity, in which
many types of organisms
especially Proteus morgani present. The
presence of histamine in canned tuna is considered to be an
indicator of earlier microbial decomposition and reflects the hygienic level of
the handling and processing stages.
Level of detention on exported tuna was sought
according Rapid Alert System notified
by European Commission during the last three years.
In order to
determine critical points for histamine formation in canned tuna processing,
histamine content was assessed at each stage of
processing in three tuna canning factories.
2. Materials and Methods
Samples, including tuna flesh and canned
products were collected from factory A which represented
factories in east Java, factory B representing factories in Bali, and factory C
representing two factories in North Sulawesi.
Samples consisted of frozen tuna as raw
materials, thawed tuna, steamed tuna and canned tuna (end
products). Samples were taken randomly from A and B factories, with
three replications. Triplicate samples at the above stages of processing were collected from factory C.
Documents sent by European Delegation in
Jakarta were collected and subject to process of tabulation.
3. Analysis Method
Histamine analysis was carried out
at the National Center for Fishery Quality Control and Processing Technology
Development (NCQC), Jakarta. The analysis used the spectrophotometry
method of AOAC, 14tb edition (1984).
Muscle tissues were weighed accurately at the
factory's laboratory, put in sampling bottles which
contained methanol, stored in a styro-foam box
containing ice and then transported to the NCQC, Jakarta. At the NCQC
laboratory, samples in methanol medium were homogenized and analyzed.
All histamine analyses for canned tuna samples were performed in the NCQC laboratory using AOAC method of
analysis.
3. Results And Discussion
Although muscle-tissue samples were analyzed
at Jakarta, histamine content might not increase since samples were stored in
methanol in which change of histamine content was minimized. In this condition,
microorganisms were not able to grow and histamine producing
enzyme is not active. Steamed tuna transported to the laboratory and it took
for 2 - 3 days. Neither histamine content of canned
tuna samples change during transportation to Jakarta because they had been
sterilized and packed under vacuum condition.
The overall results shows that histamine content changes during
processing of canned tuna produced by three factories are
shown in Figure 1. Histamine content seems to have increased during processing
in A and B factories. Increase of histamine content, for A and B factories
started from stage 1 to 2 in which,
during thawing, micro-organisms probably started to
grow. At the time of our visit to these two factories, large quantities of raw
material were being processed. The delays of processing
raw material during this stage, lead to histamine building up. Between stages 2
and 3, where the fish was pre-cooked, the histamine content seems to have
increased. In these stages,
theoretically, the amount of histamine would not change, but the increase of
histamine content was probably due to a decrease in moisture content. During
precooking of skipjack tuna at some canning factories, weight loss was evident
at approximately 20 to 24% as a result of decreasing
moisture content. Significant changes of histamine content took place in
factories A and B between stages 3 and 4 where the dark muscles were separated manually. Because of the abundance of raw
material in A and B factories, much time was taken up
in processing. Contamination of micro-organisms, from
workers might occur, leading to increases in histamine content.
In contrast, the histamine content of canned tuna
produced by factory C decreased along all stages of processing. Decreases of
histamine content occurred at stages I and 2. Raw
materials (fresh tuna) were gutted and washed.
Decreases of histamine content in these stages were probably due to washing.
The decreases of histamine content during processing in all stages at factory C, may have been a function of the small quantity of raw
material being processed and the consequent lack of any delay. This resulted in
almost no histamine changes at all stages, other than stages 1 and 2.
As shown in Figure 1, that histamine contents in tuna
as raw materials in A and B factories were 0.73 mg %
and 0.30 nig % respectively. These were much lower than that in C factory (3.6
mg %). This lower value in factories A and B seems to be as a
result of better handling applied on board and during transportation in
East Java and Bali than in north Sulawesi, where
supply of raw material to the factory C was in fresh condition.
On the basis of this assessment, we conclude that the histamine
contents of canned tuna produced as end products by these three factories were
lower than 20 mg % - permitted level for canned tuna applied in the US market.
All values found were also lower than 5 mg % which is
the permitted level of histamine applied by buyers in western countries.
These results are in
parallel to those of records of tuna export where all consignment of canned
tuna were never been rejected at any port of entry in European markets. In
contrast, fresh or frozen tuna originating Indonesia are sometime subject to
detention in EU, due to histamine concern. In 2003 to January
2004. there were 4 cases of detention at EU’s ports of entry, concerning histamine content in fresh
and frozen tuna originating from Indonesia, comprising 2 factories in east
java, each one factory in Jakarta and South Sulawesi.
The content ranged between 210 mg/kg (ppm) to 950 pmm which
are higher than maximum residue limits established by FAO/WHO, that is 50 ppm. If this figure is compared to a
total of 41 Indonesia fishery product consignments detained in EU during
2003m and 2004, it accounts only 9 %. Most detention was
caused by antibiotic residues in shrimp and mercury concern in tuna.
However, if histamine
problem in tuna is not properly handled, control measures to any
Indonesia tuna will be applied by EU, in future.
Figure 1. Histamine content changes during processing in
tuna caning Factories.
|
No |
Origin of samples |
Histamine content in (mg %) |
|||
|
A |
B |
C |
D |
||
|
1 |
PT. Bali Raya |
0.72 0.58 0.90 |
0.73 0.83 0.84 |
1.13 0.90 1.08 |
2.31 2.06 2.12 |
|
2 |
PT. Plamboyan Raya |
0.24 1.07 0.28 |
0.48 1.32 0.75 |
0.72 1.19 1.36 |
1.99 1.69 1.64 |
|
3 |
PT. Union Pasific Food |
- - 3.59 3.61 |
1.69 2.18 - - |
1.12 1.01 1.41 2.21 |
0.19 0.48 0.60 0.40 |
|
4 |
PT. Multi Transpeche Indonesia |
1.06 2.45 1.76 |
2.06 4.59 3.33 |
1.76 0.28 1.02 |
1.79 0.28 1.03 |
4. Conclusions and recommendation
This assessment concludes that the critical points of
histamine formation during the processing of tuna in factories A and B were the
thawing and dressing stages. This was due to the large quantity of raw material
being processed. The histamine content of the raw
material used in factories A, B and C varied, depending on the handling and
transportation. However, histamine contents in canned tuna as end products were lower than the permitted level applied in all
major importing countries, in particular the United State of America and European
Union.
Fresh and frozen tuna were more liable to histamine
abuse, since histamine can develop in parallel to temperature increase of the
products. Therefore, to prevent more serious problem, concerning export,
processors should adequately implement Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points
(HACCP) program.
In order to maintain the lower histamine content
during the processing of tuna in the canning factories, it is recommended that
the efficiency of production may be increased and that the risk of contamination
can be held at the
lowest possible level.
Future studies, in particular implementation of HACCP
program can be attempted in the canning factories, and parameters other than
histamine, such as mercury, Clostridium botulinum and
parasites can be used to control the production of canned tuna, in terms of
quality and food safety.
5. References.