We evaluated the effect of some factors (batch, producer, storage and amine distribution in cheese) on the biogenic amines and polyamines contents and microbial counts (<I>Enterobacteriaceae</I>, enterococci, lactic acid bacteria) in blue-veined cheese Niva. The tyramine content was increasing (<I>P</I> < 0.01) with storage time; at storage day 29, it reached 298 mg/kg and exceeded the toxicological limit. Cadaverine and the sum of biogenic amines also increased significantly (<I>P</I> < 0.01) and the latter reached up to 900 mg/kg, i.e. the established toxicological limit. The contents of the quantitatively most important biogenic amines (tyramine and cadaverine) and sum of biogenic amines varied according to batch and producer in the ranges of 3.0–337 mg/kg, 3.0–705 mg/kg, and 33–920 mg/kg, respectively. Considerably higher (P</I> < 0.01) contents of tyramine, cadaverine and sum of biogenic amines and higher counts of enterococci and <I>Enterobacteriaceae</I> were found in the edge samples in comparison with the cheese core. The microorganisms were identified as <I>E. faecalis</I> and<I> E. faecium</I>.
Microbiological aspects of biogenic amines formation in ripening cheeses