title: The effects of early post-mortem pH and ultimate pH on level and amount of destructured zones in cooked cured hams.
abstract: Effects of early (1h p.m. and 3h p.m.) and ultimate pH (24h p.m.) on level and amount of destructured zones in cooked cured hams were evaluated. In experiment 1, electrically stimulated (50 V, 14 Hz, 2 x 90s) and non-stimulated carcass halves, both in combination with two cooling procedures (2 degrees C from 30 min p.m. vs. 120 min p.m.) resulted in 1.5-35.2g/kg destructured zones in silversides and 58.4-120.0 g/kg destructured zones in topsides. A high temperature 1h p.m. in silversides (P=0.067) and topsides (P=0.054) was identified as the most important predictor for the defect. In experiment 2, cooked cured hams from topsides selected according to ultimate pH groups (pH<5.5, pH 5.5-5.7, pH>5.7) showed between 12.3 and 61.8 g/kg destructured zones. Ultimate pH was specified as most important, however, statistically still not significant (P=0.135) predictor for the defect. Chemical analysis resulted in low crude ash and high dry matter content as being characteristic for the defect.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Science, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Gabriel
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Hugenschmidt
authors.forename: Ruedi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hadorn
authors.forename: Martin R L
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Scheeder
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Silacci
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scherrer
authors.forename: Caspar
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wenk
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003296:Cooking; D004560:Electricity; D005511:Food Handling / Q000379:methods*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008460:Meat / Q000592:standards*; D011180:Postmortem Changes; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013696:Temperature