Creatine and creatinine evolution during the processing of dry-cured ham.
Dry-curing of ham involves many biochemical reactions that depend on the processing conditions. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of the dry-cured processing on the concentration of creatine, creatinine and the creatinine/creatine ratio. Dry-cured hams under study were salted using three different salt mixtures (100% NaCl; NaCl and KCl at 50% each; and 55% NaCl, 25% KCl, 15% CaCl(2) and 5% MgCl(2)) in order to observe its influence on creatinine formation but no significant differences were found between them at any time of processing. However, significant differences between different post-salting times (20, 50 and 80 days) and the ripened hams (7, 9 and 11 months of ripening) were observed. Results showed that creatine and creatinine remain stable once the ripening period is reached. These results were confirmed when analysing dry-cured ham samples submitted to extreme conditions of temperature and time (20, 30, 40 and 70 degrees C during 0, 20, 40 and 60 min) as well as commercial dry-cured hams with more than 12 months of processing.
Mora
Leticia
L
Instituto de Agroquímica y Tecnología de Alimentos (CSIC), P.O. Box 73, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
Hernández-Cázares
Aleida S
AS
Sentandreu
Miguel Angel
MA
Toldrá
Fidel
F
D000818:Animals; D002712:Chlorides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000378:metabolism*; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods*; D008460:Meat; D012492:Salts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013552:Swine
D002712:Chlorides; D012492:Salts; D003404:Creatinine; D003401:Creatine