Quantification of biogenic amines and adaptation of an index as a quality indicator of rendered pig meals

The objective of this study was to quantify biogenic amines and to adapt equations for the calculation of the biogenic amine index (BAI) in rendered pig carcass meals (RPCM). Samples of RPCM from three different origins were evaluated: Group 1—experimentally produced meal; Group 2—meal produced in a plant dedicated to rendering pigs dead on the farm due to non-infectious causes; and Group 3—meal produced in commercial rendering plants. Group 1 meals were produced from sow carcasses that were stored either under environmental temperature (ET = 25 °C) or refrigeration temperature (RT = −6 °C), and their biogenic amine contents were analyzed at 0, 24, 48, and 72 h of storage. The levels of the biogenic amines phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine, spermidine, and spermine of all meals were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography, and their BAIs were calculated. Group 1 meals stored at ET presented higher phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, and tyramine contents compared with those stored at RT after 24 h storage, whereas spermidine and spermine contents decreased after 24 h of storage at ET. The adapted BAI can be used as a quality indicator of RPCM.