Categorization of Chinese Dry-Cured Ham Based on Three Sticks’ Method by Multiple Sensory Technologies

Dong Xia,Nan Li,Dan Ni Zhang,Le Chen,Yuan Liu,Fu Ping Zheng,Shao Ting Gao

doi:10.1155/2017/1701756

Abstract

Odor profiles of three grades of Jinhua, Xuanwei, and Rugao dry-cured hams were analyzed and distinguished by both the electronic nose and the sensory evaluation. The odor was absorbed by bamboo sticks, which is the most traditional absorption method to classify different ham grades. Then data from electronic nose was analyzed by discriminant function analysis (DFA) and cluster analysis (CA), compared with that from sensory evaluation by principal component analysis (PCA). Results showed that different grades of Jinhua, Xuanwei, and Rugao dry-cured hams could be distinguished effectively by the DFA results of electronic nose. However, sensory evaluation could not perform as well as electronic nose. It was demonstrated that intelligent sensory technology has higher sensitivity and reliability in classifying producing regions and grades of dry-cured ham.

Highlights

Dry-cured hams are the traditional and popular meat products in China, because of their unique flavor and long-term preservation
The points corresponding to three grades of Xuanwei ham were in the second and third quadrant of the plot while all the Jinhua and Rugao ham
The results revealed that the electronic nose nearly could play a better role in categorization of the production regions and grades

Summary

Introduction

Dry-cured hams are the traditional and popular meat products in China, because of their unique flavor and long-term preservation. Rugao, and Xuanwei dry-cured hams are three of the most well-known ham products in China. Xuanwei hams were produced in Xuanwei, Yunnan Province, which are an example of the earliest famous foods of Yunnan to enter the international market. They are made from hind legs [2] of Wujin pig in Yunnan. Rugao hams are called “the North Leg,” whose history can be traced back to the Qing Dynasty. They are produced in Rugao, Jiangsu Province, made from the local Rugao pigs [4]. The high quality of the dry-cured ham mainly accompanies the delightful aroma, which is one of the most important labels of dry-cured hams

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Conclusion