Safety of Distributed Seafood in Gyeonggi-do

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] Distributed seafood in Gyeonggi Province has been found to be 'safe.'

The Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment announced on the 14th that, from February to October last year, it conducted the nation's first safety inspection of seafood using freshness indicator components such as histamine, and all samples were found to be 'safe.'

This inspection was conducted by testing the content of eight types of biogenic amines (BAs), including histamine, in 198 seafood samples sold at large distribution stores in the province, including ingredients used for school meals.

Biogenic amines are substances produced during the decomposition of protein-containing foods such as fish by microorganisms and are used as indicators for food spoilage and freshness evaluation.

Excessive intake can cause skin inflammation, allergic reactions, and in severe cases, food poisoning and heart attacks.

The inspection results showed that biogenic amines were detected within the standard limits in both school meal and distributed seafood. Frozen distributed seafood showed biogenic amine levels four times lower than those of seafood distributed at room temperature.

Among these, Spanish mackerel, mackerel, and salmon showed variations in biogenic amine content depending on storage conditions, with levels differing according to temperature and time.

In the case of histamine, mackerel exceeded the domestic standard (200 mg/kg or less) with a content of 308 mg/kg after 24 hours at 30℃. At 4℃, no histamine was detected up to 3 days, and at -20℃, none was detected up to 14 days in Spanish mackerel, mackerel, and salmon. Additionally, histamine content in salted fish was lower than in untreated fish.

Yoon Mi-hye, director of the Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health and Environment, explained, "As the hot summer season approaches, it is a time when careful storage of seafood is necessary," adding, "This investigation analyzed that storing seafood refrigerated or frozen, or treating it with salt, is effective in reducing biogenic amine content."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.