Early PCR detection of tyramine-producing bacteria during cheese production.

Biogenic amines (BA) are toxic substances that appear in foods and beverages. Tyramine is the most abundant BA in cheeses. A PCR method was developed to detect the presence of tyramine-producing bacteria during cheese manufacture and ripening. Six different batches of a farmhouse blue cheese were analysed by PCR. Tyramine concentrations were also determined by HPLC. The PCR method was able to anticipate tyramine accumulation in the cheeses; the presence of tyramine-producing microorganisms in the early stages of manufacture correlated well with a high concentration of BA in mature cheese samples.