Sourdough bread

The signature tang of sourdough comes from bacterial fermentation, and that process may allow histamine to accumulate over time — though not all sourdoughs are equal.

• Bacterial fermentation — some strains of lactic acid bacteria found in sourdough starters are capable of producing histamine, and longer fermentation gives those strains more opportunity to do so; however, many LAB strains do not produce histamine, so levels can vary widely between batches and recipes

• More than regular bread — standard yeasted breads ferment quickly and may build up less histamine than long-fermented sourdough loaves, though the difference is not always large

Shorter-fermented or commercial sourdoughs tend to have lower histamine levels than traditional long-rise versions.