Biogenic amine production in Feta cheese

The formation of biogenic amines during Feta cheese ripening was investigated for 4 months in relation to the parent amino acids. The total biogenic amines content in mature cheese (60 days) was 330 mg/kg and, after a 120-day storage, 617 mg/kg. Tyramine and putrescine were the main biogenic amines in mature samples (69.7% and 71.2% at 60 and 120 days, respectively), while tryptamine and phenylethylamine concentrations were very low all along ripening. Total amine content increased throughout ripening reaching, ∼620 mg/kg at 120 days; the periods of major amine production were from 1 to 15 days and from 60 to 120 days. It appears that the low pH and high salt content of Feta cheese do not create favourable conditions for amino acid decarboxylation, keeping the level of biogenic amines relatively low.