Abstract
Ensuring food safety along the supply chain must be safeguarded to protect the public's health from any foodborne disease. Scombroid poisoning is a less studied occurrence despite the consumption of fish products. This study was formulated to evaluate at which stage of the supply chain the increase in the histamine content of dried anchovies (Stolephorus commersonnii) occurs. The study showed that histamine substances and Staphylococcus aureus were detected at all stages along the supply chain. It was also found that the concentration of histamine generally increased from the fisherman to the processors and retailers. Post-hoc analysis using the Fisher test showed no significant difference in the histamine content of dried anchovies from the processing centers (=54.07 mg/kg) and retailers (=67.63 mg/kg) but significantly higher than the raw anchovies (=8.29 mg/kg). For S. aureus, it remains low at <10 colony-forming units (CFU/g). The aerobic plate count supports this conclusion with a 90.29% increase from the processing center to the retailers. However, it is still significant as a source of histamine formation influenced by water activity and salt content. A correlation between salt content and water activity with histamine content was identified with a Pearson correlation coefficient of 0.8357. It is recommended to review the processing method to control salt content and the handling and storage in the retailers, as they showed the highest potential for histamine-forming bacteria growth, leading to an increase in histamine levels in dried anchovies.