Comparison of entire male and immunocastrated pigs for dry-cured ham production under two salting regimes.
Due to the initiative to stop piglet castration, meat from entire male pigs is expected to take important share on the European market which can affect dry-cured ham industry. In the present study, hams of entire males (EM) and immunocastrates (IC) were submitted to dry-curing process. Sex category and salting regime were evaluated using standard (18 days; HS) and shortened salting (6 days; LS). At the end of processing, compared to HS, LS hams had lower (40%) salt content, were more proteolysed, were less salty, and had softer texture and different volatile profile. Sex effect was less evident; still, hams from EM exhibited higher processing losses and salt intake, and were drier, less marbled, harder, and more intensively coloured than IC hams. The panellists perceived higher off-flavours in hams with high boar taint compounds (correlation 0.67 and 0.53 for skatole and androstenone, respectively). The effect of sex category on volatile profile was negligible.
Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ulica 17, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Martin
M
Škrlep
Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ulica 17, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: meta.candek-potokar@kis.si.
Marjeta
M
Čandek-Potokar
Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Hacquetova ulica 17, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Nina Batorek
NB
Lukač
University of Maribor, Faculty of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Pivola 10, 2311 Hoče, Slovenia.
Maja Prevolnik
MP
Povše
Dipartimento di Scienze delle Produzioni Agroalimentari e dell'Ambiente, University of Florence, Via delle Cascine, 5, 50144 Firenze, Italy.
Carolina
C
Pugliese
INRA, UMR-1348 PEGASE, 35590 St-Gilles and Agrocampus Ouest, 35000 Rennes, France.
Etienne
E
Labussière
Department of Food Science, IATA-CSIC, Avda. Agustin Escardino 7, 46980 Paterna, Valencia, Spain.
Mónica
M
Flores
D000818:Animals; D003269:Contraception, Immunologic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000662:veterinary*; D003433:Crosses, Genetic; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000032:analysis; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000517:prevention & control; D005519:Food Preservation; D063427:Food Quality; D057141:Food, Preserved / Q000032:analysis*; D006244:Hardness; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008460:Meat / Q000032:analysis*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D010860:Pigments, Biological / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D059748:Proteolysis; D012677:Sensation; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000032:analysis; D034421:Sus scrofa / Q000254:growth & development / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D013649:Taste; D022642:Vaccines, Contraceptive; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds / Q000032:analysis; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis
D004041:Dietary Fats; D010860:Pigments, Biological; D017673:Sodium Chloride, Dietary; D022642:Vaccines, Contraceptive; D055549:Volatile Organic Compounds; D014867:Water
Dry-cured ham quality; Entire male pigs; Salt reduction