Biogenic amine is a biogenic substance with low molecular weight and amino groups. Most foods contain
biogenic amines that are formed by decarboxylation of amino acids with microbial amino decarboxylases. The appropriate
amount of biogenic amines is beneficial to human normal physiology, but the absorption at high concentration will cause
undesirable physiological effects. The distribution of microorganisms in different foods is discrepant, leading to the
differences in the types and quantities of biogenic amines in different foods. This article summarizes the sources of biogenic
amines, the mechanism and control strategies for their formation and analytical methods for the detection of biogenic amines
in different foods, aiming to provide reference for reducing the amount of biogenic amines in foods.
Key words: biogenic amine; microorganism; formation mechanism; control strategy