Abstract
Evaluation of histamine levels at various stages of manufacturing fish meal made from European pilchard Sardina pilchardus by-products was conducted on two batches which are distinguished by the quality of raw materials expressed through total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN) content. The goal was also to assess the impact of the reuse of the concentrated stickwater, the liquid from the pressing process of fish meal. The results revealed that the level of raw material deterioration influenced the level of histamine in the finished product. When the freshness of the raw material is acceptable (TVBN content: 30 mg/100 g), histamine contents recorded in the finished product remain clearly below the limit value of 500 ppm. In this case, incorporation of concentrated stickwater into press cake before drying did not affect the concentration of histamine accumulated in the finished product. When the raw material was spoiled (TVBN content: 120 mg/100 g), the recorded histamine content was twice the limit value (975.1 ± 33.9 ppm).