title: Determination of volatile compounds in San Daniele ham using headspace GC-MS.
abstract: The volatile fraction of San Daniele hams was evaluated in barrows and gilts belonging to two commercial breeds. A group of 120 pigs, reared under the same conditions, were slaughtered, and the right ham seasoned/cured for 12 months, in accordance with the San Daniele Consortium protocol. At the end of ripening, 16 hams (four of each gender and breed) were selected and analysed for volatile composition, using a dynamic headspace gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (DHS-GC-MS) technique. Seventy five compounds belonging to eight different chemical groups were identified in the hams. Alcohols were the most abundant constituents (41.38%) followed by aldehydes (31.53%). The possibility of classifying hams according breed and gender, using volatile compounds as independent variables, was analysed by principal component analysis, alcohols were the most suitable compounds to discriminate hams. Data from a larger number of samples are required to validate the conclusions.
authors: Dipartimento di Scienze Animali, Università di Udine, via delle Scienze 208, 33100 Udine, Italy.
authors: Brigitta
authors: B
authors: Gaspardo
authors: Giuseppe
authors: G
authors: Procida
authors: Barbara
authors: B
authors: Toso
authors: Bruno
authors: B
authors: Stefanon