Recent trends in food safety promote an increasing search for compounds that can affect human health. Biogenic amines belong to this group of substances. Under normal conditions in humans, exogenous amines absorbed from food are rapidly detoxified by the action of amine oxidases but in the case of allergic individuals and if MAO inhibitors are applied, the detoxification process is disturbed. Cheese is a foodstuff most frequently connected with biogenic amine production. The levels of biogenic amines in different cheese types on the Czech market were investigated. 215 samples of 10 cheese brands were purchased in retail stores. Amines were extracted using hydrochloric acid, derivatized with dansylchloride and separated using RP-HPLC method with fluorometric detection. Tyramine, putrescine and cadaverine were the prevalent amines, followed by histamine. Spermine, spermidine, tryptamine and 2-phenylethylamine were detected at low levels (max. 51 mg·kg^-1). Tyramine, putrescine, cadaverine and histamine were present at levels up to 1123, 591, 1110 and 283 mg·kg^-1, respectively. There was variability in the types and levels of amines in every cheese brand. The highest levels of biogenic amines were determined in swiss-type cheese or surface ripened cheese and the sum of biogenic amines was in excess of 3000 mg·kg^-1. However, cheeses with low degree of cultivation are noted for low contents of amines. Susceptible individuals should be advised to consume cheese brands with low biogenic amine contents.

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