Are anchovies high in histamine?
Anchovies are high in histamine risk: like tuna and sardines they are a histidine-rich fish that can build up histamine fast, and most are eaten preserved, salted or in oil, where canning heat does not remove it.
- Histamine
- Varies by sample
- Other amines
- Notable levels
- Liberator
- Not on the lists we use
- DAO blocker
- No evidence
What each source says
| Source | Verdict | What it says, in our words |
|---|---|---|
| Lab measurements, Spain 1 | Measured | Preserved and semi-preserved fish averaged 10.03 mg/kg in 151 samples, up to 657.05 mg/kg; anchovies were not reported separately. |
| Histamine intolerance review, 2020 2 | Measured | Semi-preserved fish averaged 3.48 mg/kg in 49 samples; the highest had 34.90 mg/kg. |
| 10 published low-histamine diets 1 | 9 of 10 exclude fish; anchovy is one of the species singled out. | |
| EU food law 3 | Sets histamine limits for histidine-rich families, anchovies' (Engraulidae) included, with a higher limit for fish matured in brine. | |
| SIGHI food list 4 | See source | See SIGHI's own list for its rating. |
Measured histamine
| Food tested | Samples | Histamine | Other amines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Preserved and semi-preserved fish sold in Spain (group) 1 (Table 1 and Section 3) | 151 | mean 10.03 mg/kg, range nd–657.05 mg/kg, 95th percentile 20.39 mg/kg | the highest sample was canned sardines; anchovies were not reported separately |
| Semi-preserved fish (group) 2 (Table 1, row "Semipreserved fish") | 49 | mean 3.48 mg/kg, range nd–34.9 mg/kg | median 2.18 mg/kg |
| Fresh oily fish sold in Spain (group; species not given) 1 (Table 1) | 49 | mean 3.27 mg/kg, range nd–111.26 mg/kg, 95th percentile 6.66 mg/kg | cadaverine mean 13.22 mg/kg (up to 400.23) |
mg/kg = milligrams of histamine per kilogram of food. "Not detected" means below the laboratory's detection limit.
How freshness and processing change it
Most anchovies reach you salted, in oil or marinated, so their histamine was set during catching, curing and storage before you opened the jar. Once a tin or jar is open, it keeps ageing in the fridge. Fresh anchovies need the same tight cold chain as any histidine-rich fish.
Semi-preserved fish (group) averaged 3.48 mg/kg, up to 34.90; preserved and semi-preserved fish reached 657.05. (measured)
Not measured on their own; raw histidine-rich fish kept as a semi-preserve. (estimate)
Fresh oily fish is usually low, but outliers exceed 100 mg/kg; it depends on the cold chain. (estimate)
Not measured. Storage time adds histamine. (estimate)
Why we rate anchovies 3
Anchovies are one of the fish that low-histamine diets name specifically. Nine of the ten diets in a 2021 review exclude fish as a group, and the review explains that diets single out scombroid-type species such as mackerel, tuna, sardines and anchovy because their flesh is high in free histidine, which bacteria turn into histamine. Anchovies belong to the Engraulidae, a family that a 2020 review lists among those besides tuna and mackerel that cause histamine poisoning.
Anchovies are usually sold preserved rather than fresh: salted, packed in oil or marinated in vinegar. The measurements for preserved fish are lower than the reputation suggests, with one large exception. The 2020 review gives 49 samples of semi-preserved fish an average of 3.48 mg/kg, a median of 2.18 mg/kg and a highest value of 34.90 mg/kg. The 2021 survey of 151 samples of preserved and semi-preserved fish found an average of 10.03 mg/kg, with 95% at or below 20.39 mg/kg, but one sample, a can of sardines, at 657.05 mg/kg. Neither paper reports anchovies on their own, so we do not know how many anchovy products were in these groups.
European law sets histamine limits for fish from histidine-rich families, anchovies' included. For ordinary fishery products, nine samples from a batch must average no more than 100 mg/kg, with none above 200 mg/kg. For fish that has been matured in brine, a process used for some salted fish such as anchovies, the limits are doubled: 200 mg/kg on average and none above 400 mg/kg. That tells you the law expects brine-matured fish to carry more histamine, not that it suits someone who is sensitive. Canning heat does not lower histamine, and the sources we use describe no step in salting or marinating that does.
We rate anchovies 3, "high". Our rule gives the top rating to histidine-rich fish with documented samples above 100 mg/kg, because you cannot tell a high sample from a low one by looking at it. Fresh anchovies fried the day they are bought are a lower risk, which we estimate at 2. If anchovy is the fish in a dish, as in fried small fish, strips of fresh cod can stand in; on a pizza or in a salad, prawns can take its place. If anchovy is there for salt and savour, that job has to go to something other than fish.
Questions about anchovies and histamine
Are anchovies in oil high in histamine?
We rate them 3. Semi-preserved fish as a group averaged 3.48 mg/kg, up to 34.90 mg/kg, but anchovies are a histidine-rich fish, the wider group of preserved fish reached 657.05 mg/kg in one can, and EU law allows brine-matured fish twice the usual histamine limit. Anchovies were not measured on their own.
Are white anchovies (boquerones) lower in histamine?
They were not measured. Boquerones are raw anchovies marinated in vinegar, a semi-preserve made from a histidine-rich fish, so we rate them 3 as an estimate, the same as salted anchovies.
Evidence behind this page
- Low-histamine diets single out scombroid-type species such as mackerel, tuna, sardines and anchovy, which are susceptible to histamine accumulation because of their high free histidine. 1
- Histamine poisoning can be caused by fish families other than tuna and mackerel, including the Engraulidae. 2
- Semi-preserved fish averaged 3.48 mg/kg of histamine across 49 samples, with a median of 2.18 mg/kg and a highest value of 34.90 mg/kg. 2
- Preserved and semi-preserved fish averaged 10.03 mg/kg across 151 samples, 95% at or below 20.39 mg/kg; the highest, canned sardines, had 657.05 mg/kg. 1
- EU limits for histidine-rich fish are an average of 100 mg/kg with none above 200 mg/kg; for fish that has undergone enzyme maturation in brine they are 200 mg/kg with none above 400 mg/kg. 3
Sources
- Sánchez-Pérez S, Comas-Basté O, Veciana-Nogués MT, Latorre-Moratalla ML, Vidal-Carou MC. Low-Histamine Diets: Is the Exclusion of Foods Justified by Their Histamine Content? Nutrients 13(5):1395, 2021. doi:10.3390/nu13051395 (Sánchez-Pérez S et al. 2021)
- Comas-Basté O, Sánchez-Pérez S, Veciana-Nogués MT, Latorre-Moratalla M, Vidal-Carou MDC. Histamine Intolerance: The Current State of the Art. Biomolecules 10(8):1181, 2020. doi:10.3390/biom10081181 (Comas-Basté O et al. 2020)
- European Commission. Commission Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005 on microbiological criteria for foodstuffs. Official Journal of the European Union L 338, 2005. Link (European Commission 2005)
- Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI). Food compatibility list for histamine intolerance. histaminintoleranz.ch (accessed November 2026), 2026. Link (Swiss Interest Group Histamine Intolerance (SIGHI) 2026)