Abstract
The long-term storage stability of three quality categories of sliced Iberian dry-cured ham defined by the Spanish Iberian Quality Standard (Black, purebred Iberian reared outdoors in Montanera system; Red, Iberian × Duroc crossed (50%) pigs reared outdoors in Montanera system; and White, Iberian × Duroc crossed (50%) pigs commercially fed) and packaged under vacuum and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) was studied. Commercial category affected the shelf life, being Black and Red presented the highest lipid oxidation during storage, whereas the effect of packaging was not as clear as the effect of commercial category. MAP preserved more the colour and the antioxidants content than vacuum packaging, while this latter reduced lipid oxidation development and maintained better the brightness and flavour of slices than MAP.
Highlights
Iberian dry-cured products are highly appreciated by Spanish consumers [1], among whom they represent a relevant part in their diet, and in the European market [2].Iberian pigs have been traditionally reared outdoors in Mediterranean evergreen forests with feeding based on acorns mainly from Quercus rotundifolia and grass, namely the Montanera system [3], which results in the top quality Iberian products
Many research studies evaluated the impact of these production systems on the final product from a quality viewpoint, reporting the impact of the genetic background on fatty acid profile and sensory attributes [5] as well as on the physico-chemical characteristics and oxidative stability [6] of Iberian dry-cured ham
We studied the shelf life of each commercial category and characterised the effect of the type of packaging—vacuum and Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)—through long-term refrigerated storage and retail display conditions
Summary
Iberian pigs have been traditionally reared outdoors in Mediterranean evergreen forests with feeding based on acorns mainly from Quercus rotundifolia and grass, namely the Montanera system [3], which results in the top quality Iberian products. The feeding background of pigs affects the intramuscular fat, fatty acid and tocopherol profile of dry-cured hams [2,7]. This variety in the productive systems give rise to different quality standards in the final product, which are compiled in the current
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