FDA Announces Draft Compliance Guide for Fish Decomposition and Histamine
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a draft Compliance Policy Guide (CPG) that amends the current CPG Sec. 540.525 on decomposition and histamine in fish and fishery products. The draft CPG provides guidance to assist FDA in addressing adulteration associated with decomposition and/or histamine identified during surveillance sampling and testing. It also adds consumer protections related to histamine poisoning by lowering the levels of histamine in fish at which FDA indicates that it may take action.
Due to the composition of the muscle tissue in certain finfish species, such as tuna, mahi-mahi, and sardines, decomposition after the fish die can produce histamine, which can threaten human health. Unless properly chilled after death and maintained in a chilled state, or otherwise treated or processed to prevent further microbial activity, histamine can accumulate in the edible muscle of these fish. Once formed, histamine cannot be reliably removed by washing, freezing, or heating.