Croque Monsieur Histamine Information

Croque Monsieur is a classic French dish typically made of ham and cheese enveloped between two slices of bread, drizzled with béchamel sauce, and baked or grilled until golden. Analyzing the ingredients, we observe that it contains products such as ham and cheese, which according to a study published in the Journal of Food Science and Technology have been reported to have high histamine content (1). This might elevate histamine levels in some individuals upon consumption. In addition, a few other factors may affect the histamine level due to the ingredients of a Croque Monsieur. For example, if the dish uses certain types of hard cheese or cured ham, the histamine content might be higher due to the longer ripening or curing process (2). Cheese used in Croque Monsieur, often Emmental or Gruyère, is, on the other side, not among the types of cheese with the highest histamine content and might be tolerated well by many individuals with histamine intolerance (3). Regarding the béchamel sauce often used in the dish, the use of certain spices, milk, and flour does not appear to correlate with high histamine levels or histamine release. However, if foods or drinks also listed as histamine liberators such as alcohol or certain fruit are consumed alongside the Croque Monsieur, they might promote its release further. Research regarding whether any ingredient of a typical Croque Monsieur can lower histamine levels yielded no concrete results, signaling that this aspect could benefit from further research. Keeping this in mind, the impact of consuming Croque Monsieur on histamine levels would likely vary depending on individual food tolerances, exact ingredients used, and what foods or drinks might be consumed at the same time. (1) Maintz, L. & Novak, N. (2007). Histamine and histamine intolerance, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2) Kusche, D. et al. (2015). Biogenic amines in raw and processed seafood, Food Science and Technology (3) Izquierdo-Cañas, PM. et al. (2018). Influence of the type of ripening and the time of storage in vacuum packaging on the content of biogenic amines in cheese. Journal of Dairy Science