Capers Histamine Information

Capers are small and edible flower buds that are widely used in various cuisines. Scientifically, capers are known to have a low histamine content, making them quite safe for those who have a high sensitivity to histamine (1). However, they are vinegar-pickled, putting capers into a category of foods that contain vinegar, which have high histamine content(2). Therefore, the histamine levels in capers could potentially vary based on how they are processed and preserved. Furthermore, when considering the impact of capers on histamine-levels, it is important to acknowledge they might have histamine releasing properties. Foods that do not necessarily contain histamine but liberate it from other foods are known as histamine liberators. The research on whether capers act as histamine liberators is currently inconclusive. However, as indicated, ingredients such as vinegar, present in pickled capers, are known to be both high in histamine content and histamine releasing agents. There have been sporadic reports on capers having an effect that lowers histamine levels, but these are anecdotal and have yet to be scientifically verified. To summarize, capers themselves are low in histamine but their final histamine content may depend on the preservation process, specifically their pickling in vinegar which is a known high histamine product. The role of capers as histamine liberators requires more research for a definitive conclusion. References (1) Maintz, L., & Novak, N. (2007). Histamine and histamine intolerance. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85(5), 1185-1196. (2) Reese I, Ballmer-Weber BK, Beyer K, Fuchs T, Kleine-Tebbe J, Klimek L, Lepp U, Niggemann B, Saloga J, Schäfer C, Werfel T, Zuberbier T, Worm M. [German guideline for the management of adverse reactions to ingested histamine]. Allergo Journal International. 2017;26:72–79. doi: 10.1007/s40629-017-0011-5.