H OH metabolites OH Article Quantitative Analysis of Biogenic Amines in Different Cheese Varieties Obtained from the Korean Domestic and Retail Markets Sujatha Kandasamy , Jayeon Yoo, Jeonghee Yun, Han Byul Kang, Kuk-Hwan Seol and Jun-Sang Ham * Animal Products Research and Development Division, National Institute of Animal Science, Rural Development Administration, Wanju 55365, Korea;
[email protected] (S.K.);
[email protected] (J.Y.);
[email protected] (J.Y.);
[email protected] (H.B.K.);
[email protected] (K.-H.S.) * Correspondence:
[email protected]; Tel.: +82-63-238-7366; Fax: +82-63-238-7397 Abstract: To evaluate the safety and risk assessment of cheese consumption in the Republic of Korea, sixty cheese samples purchased from the farmstead and retails markets (imported) were analyzed for their biogenic amine (BA) contents. The BA profiles and quantities of eight amines (tryptamine, 2-phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermidine, and spermine) were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Spermine was the only amine detectable in all the samples. The BAs of fresh cheeses from both farmstead and retail markets were mostly undetectable, and comparatively at lower levels (<125 mg/kg) than ripened samples. Putrescine was undetectable in all the domestic ripened cheeses. The sum of BA levels in the imported ripened cheeses of Pecorino Romano (1889.75 mg/kg) and Grana Padano (1237.80 mg/kg) exceeds >1000 mg/kg, of which histamine accounts nearly 86 and 77% of the total levels, respectively. The tolerable limits of the potential toxic amines, histamine and tyramine surpassed in four and three imported ripened samples, respectively.