Twenty-five samples of canned fish (tuna and mackerel), frozen fish (mackerel and mazelli) as well as smoked fish (herring); five samples of each were randomly collected from different localities of Alexandria city. Collected samples were subjected to biogenic amine examination. Histamine and Tyramine were determined by HPLC. The highest average value (mg/100g) for histamine was 6.94 (canned tuna) and the lowest was 0.76 (Frozen Mazelli), the respective values for Tyramine were 1.63 (canned tuna) and 0.06 (frozen mazelli) mg/100g. For improvement the quality of raw fish (fresh sardine, 10 kg) during preparation the fresh sardine prior chilling or freezing was dipped into crude potato extract (as protease inhibitor) to reduce biogenic amines production. In order to test the effect of heat treatment on the concentration of the biogenic amines in fish (Frozen mackerel and sardine) were subjected to oven baking at 1506 C for 20 min. This showed high reduction in the percentage of biogenic amine production due to heat treatment. The public health significance of the biogenic amines as well as the suggested measures for improving the quality of produced products has been discussed

Reliable results represent the pinnacle assessment of quality of an analytical laboratory, and therefore <em>variability</em> is considered to be a critical quality problem associated with the selenium analysis method executed at Western Cape Provincial Veterinary Laboratory (WCPVL). The elimination and control of variability is undoubtedly of significant importance because of the narrow margin of safety between toxic and deficient doses of the trace element for good animal health. A quality methodology known as Lean Six Sigma was believed to present the most feasible solution for overcoming the adverse effect of variation, through steps towards analytical process improvement. Lean Six Sigma represents a form of scientific method type, which is empirical, inductive and deductive, and systematic, which relies on data, and is fact-based. The Lean Six Sigma methodology comprises five macro-phases, namely Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control (DMAIC). Both qualitative and quantitative laboratory data were collected in terms of these phases. Qualitative data were collected by using quality-tools, namely an Ishikawa diagram, a Pareto chart, Kaizen analysis and a Failure Mode Effect analysis tool. Quantitative laboratory data, based on the analytical chemistry test method, were collected through a controlled experiment. The controlled experiment entailed 13 replicated runs of the selenium test method, whereby 11 samples were repetitively analysed, whilst Certified Reference Material (CRM) was also included in 6 of the runs. Laboratory results obtained from the controlled experiment was analysed by using statistical methods, commonly associated with quality validation of chemistry procedures. Analysis of both sets of data yielded an improved selenium analysis method, believed to provide greater reliability of results, in addition to a greatly reduced cycle time and superior control features. Lean Six Sigma may therefore be regarded as a valuable tool in any laboratory, and represents both a management discipline, and a standardised approach to problem solving and process optimisation.