Beef stock

Stock gets its deep flavor from long, slow cooking — but that same process is associated with higher histamine levels.

• Meat freshness is the key driver — histamine is produced by bacterial activity on proteins before and during cooking; the fresher the meat at the start, the lower the likely histamine load, since heat itself does not generate histamine but also does not destroy it once formed

• Store-bought is often worse — commercial stocks are frequently slow-cooked, reduced, and then stored, meaning there have been more opportunities for histamine to accumulate compared to a quick homemade version using fresh ingredients

A short simmer of very fresh meat in water tends to produce a much lower-histamine alternative to a rich, long-cooked stock.