Short Answer 
Histamine forms in fish when improperly handled or stored at unsafe temperatures and cannot be destroyed by cooking or freezing. Preservation methods like refrigeration and salting can slow down histamine production but do not eliminate it, making proper handling and storage crucial to prevent histamine poisoning.
Step 1: Understand Histamine Formation
Histamine is a compound that can form in fish when they are improperly handled or stored at unsafe temperatures. This can lead to *time-temperature abuse*, which occurs when fish are kept outside of safe temperature ranges. Once histamine is produced, it becomes heat-resistant, meaning that it cannot be destroyed by common methods like cooking or freezing.
Step 2: Recognize Limitations of Preservation Methods
Preservation methods such as freezing, cooking, refrigeration, and salting have certain roles but cannot eliminate already formed histamine. Specifically:
- Freezing: Stops bacterial growth but does not eliminate histamine.
- Cooking: Does not destroy histamine even at high temperatures.
- Refrigeration: Slows down histamine production by inhibiting bacterial growth, yet does not remove histamine that is already present.
- Salting: Reduces water activity, inhibits bacterial growth, and may prevent further histamine production, but cannot destroy existing histamine.
Step 3: Importance of Proper Handling
To prevent histamine formation in fish, it is crucial to maintain proper handling and storage techniques right from the source to the consumer. This includes:
- Keeping fish refrigerated or on ice at safe temperatures below 40¬¨‚à ûF (4¬¨‚à ûC).
- Avoiding prolonged exposure to warm temperatures during transport and storage.
- Practicing hygiene and safe food handling methods to reduce initial bacterial growth that leads to histamine formation.