The histamine content testing in alcoholic and non-alcoholic bright beer
Food hypersensitivity is common. Its symptoms can occur by consumption of only few ppm of certain food substance. One of potential hypersensitivity roots in beer is histamine. The aim of this research was to define methodology and determine presence and quantity of histamine in alcoholic and non-alcoholic bright beer, and beer produced by biological and physical process. HPLC analysis was performed with detection and quantification of histamine on absorption PDA detector set at 280 nm, after derivatisation with dietiletoxymethilenemalonate (DEEMM). Separation was performed at 16 °C on Zorbax XDB C18 (150 mm × 4.6 mm ; 3.5 µm) with two mobile phases (A: acetate buffer 25 mM pH 5.8 with 0.02% sodium azide ; B: acetonitril:methanol 80:20) and flow of 1mL/min in gradient elution mode. Histamine content in alcoholic bright beers was between 0.085 mg/L and 0.119 mg/mL, whereas non-alcoholic beer contained 0.088 - 0.112 mg/L of histamine. Histamine content wasn't statistically different between alcoholic and non-alcoholic beer, as well as between biologically and physically produced beers.