Effect of Natural Stabilised Pork Haem Pigment on the Colour, Colour Stability and Texture of Cooked Hams from Pale, Soft and Exudative Meat

Abstract

The effect of the addition of pork haem pigment on the colour, colour stability and texture of cooked hams from pale, soft and exudative meat (PSE hams) was studied. A total of 62 hams were selected at 15h post mortem on the basis of pH, electrical conductivity (EC) and L* value in semimembranosus (SM) and biceps femoris (BF) muscles. Hams were divided into three groups to be manufactured as cooked hams: group 1 (control, with normal meat quality hams, n 20), group 2 (control, with PSE hams, n 21) and group 3 (with PSE hams to which 0.04% of pork haem pigment was added, n 21). The stability of the colour ( L*, a*, b*) was followed at 0, 30 and 120min after slicing. Pigment content and the instrumental texture of the hams were also evaluated. L* value after slicing was lower in group 3 than in group 2 for both muscles at all three times studied. Colour a* value (redness) was significantly higher for group 3 than for groups 1 and 2 at the three times and in the two muscles. Accordingly, there was an increase in visual redness in BF and SM of hams from group 3 with respect to groups 1 and 2. Iridescence was higher in PSE hams. The muscle pigment content showed no significant differences among groups - neither in the fresh nor in the cooked hams. No effect of the pork pigment was found on the texture properties studied. In conclusion, the addition of stabilised pork haem pigment in the processing of PSE hams resulted in cooked hams with lower L* values and higher a* values and more visual redness, whereas colour stability and texture of hams were not affected.