Abstract
Abstract This study was focused on the determination of the chemical composition and experimentally obtaining the sorption isotherms for four samples of commercial cooked ham subjected to simulated commercial storage conditions. The isotherms were determined using the gravimetric method. The mathematical models of Guggenhein, Anderson and de Boer; Brunauer, Emmett and Teller; Halsey; Henderson; and Peleg were fitted to the experimental data. The Guggenhein, Anderson and de Boer model was chosen to best describe the isotherms as it had a very good fit. The increase in temperature reduced the equilibrium moisture content of the product. Increased relative humidity resulted in an increase in equilibrium moisture content of the product regardless of storage temperature. The differences in chemical composition between the samples affect the desorption isotherms. The higher the content and availability of the protein or the lower the fat content, the higher the equilibrium moisture content of the product.
Highlights
Cooked ham is one of the most popular processed meat products among Brazilian and European consumers (Válková et al, 2007)
The growing consumption of cooked ham is linked to recent efforts that focused on increasing its acceptability through the evaluation of physical and sensory characteristics, such as appearance, texture, flavor and color (Ávila et al, 2014; Barbieri et al, 2016; Delahunty et al, 1997; Tomović et al, 2013)
The cooked ham samples were thawed in cold storage at 5 °C
Summary
Cooked ham is one of the most popular processed meat products among Brazilian and European consumers (Válková et al, 2007). The processing of cooked ham consists basically of incorporating brine in the pork by tumbling and massaging, followed by cooking to solubilize the proteins and adequate cooling to take the ham out of the mold (Talens et al, 2013). Adequate cooling is necessary so that the product does not deform after being taken out of the mold. The final product is transported and maintained under controlled low temperatures until later use. As a consequence of all these steps, the final quality of the hams depends on many factors, including the origin and composition of the ingredients and the processing conditions (Válková et al, 2007)
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