Contents of biogenic amines (tryptamine, phenylethylamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, tyramine) were determined in 11 cheeses aged 30 days, produced under relatively primitive hygienic conditions in shepherds' huts in the Friuli Venezia Giulia mountainous region of Italy during the summer season. Total biogenic amine levels, predominantly putrescine and cadaverine, ranged from 8.92 to 139.84 mg/100 g cheese. Tryptamine and phenylethylamine concn. were low, and only moderate amounts of histamine and tyramine were observed. Microbiological analysis revealed high counts of total coliforms (up to 7.0 * 10 7 cfu/g) and Escherichia coli (up to 1.7 * 10 6 cfu/g). Acetic and butyric acids were the most common volatile fatty acids. Comparison of the results with those for a similar cheese produced under good conditions confirmed the detrimental role played by the defective hygiene in the shepherds' huts.
