Production of biogenic amines during the ripening of Pecorino Abruzzese cheese

The production of biogenic amines (BA) during the manufacturing and ripening of sheep milk Pecorino Abruzzese cheeses prepared from raw milk without starter culture (A) and from pasteurized milk with added starter (B) were compared. At the end of ripening (60 days), the total BA contents of cheeses of batches A and B were 697 and 1086 mg kg−1, respectively; the dominant BA were different. Single isolates of enterococci, pseudomonads and Enterobacteriaceae were screened for their potential to produce BA. Qualitative tests indicated a large spread of BA-forming cultures among the members of the Enterobacteriaceae and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). Differences among the levels of BA produced in UHT milk by representative isolates of coliforms, Pseudomonas and LAB were observed in relation to the microbial group or the isolate. The results emphasize the need to improve the general hygienic conditions of Pecorino Abruzzese cheese manufacture and control the indigenous bacterial population.