Cured Ham Research Articles

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Procedure for Online Determination of Sodium and Potassium Content in Low-Salt Cured Hams.

This paper reports the development of a near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) calibration procedure for the determination of sodium and potassium content in cured ham samples. Sliced samples of hams treated with different salts in different percentages were included in the study. Calibration models developed using partial least squares regression were cross-validated and predictive models were tested using the samples of cured ham with low sodium content. The results showed that the developed NIRS procedure is capable of directly measuring the potassium content of packaged dry-cured ham slices with low sodium content with a fitting accuracy of 91.44%, and that it can indirectly determine the sodium content by applying a correction factor to the values obtained for potassium. The prediction error between the calculated and actual sodium values determined using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectrophotometry (ICP-AES) was 0.004%, and this confirms that the NIRS procedure is a viable option for the determination of sodium and potassium content in this type of sample.

A simple and portable method for on-line texture measurement of Italian “Speck Alto Adige”

Texture is a relevant parameter for the assessment of cured ham's quality. In this study a rapid on-line instrumental technique for the measurement of the texture of pieces of cured smoked ham intended for sale as “Speck Alto Adige” PGI was developed. Speck samples were subjected to a compression test using a portable Shore A tester, and instrumental data were compared with conventional texture analyses (texture profile analysis and stress relaxation test) and with sensory evaluations. First, a hardness range in which a threshold value could be identified for the eligibility of 120 speck samples for the “Speck Alto Adige” PGI indication was established; afterwards, a Shore A hardness threshold value of 48 was defined based on measurements of more than 1000 samples. These findings may help manufacturers to determine the textural properties of Speck, based on a simple and rapid instrumental analysis.

Quality Changes and Shelf-Life Prediction of Cooked Cured Ham Stored at Different Temperatures

Cooked cured ham is a ready-to-eat food that is popular among consumers. Stored temperature has a key effect on the quality and shelf life of ham. In this work, the quality changes and shelf-life prediction of cooked cured ham stored at different temperatures were investigated. Sensory evaluation, physical and chemical indicators, and aerobic plate count were determined. Results showed that high storage temperature of cooked ham accelerates quality deterioration. Partial least squares (PLS) regression analysis based on the variable importance for projection identified nine important variables for predicting the shelf life of cooked cured ham. Compared with either PLS or back-propagation artificial neural network, the hybrid PLS-back-propagation artificial neural network model better predicts the shelf life of cooked cured ham by using the nine variables. This study provides a theoretical basis and data support for the quality control of cooked cured ham and a new idea for research on the shelf-life prediction of cooked cured ham.

Did You Try Our Good Smoked Ham? Assessing the Quality of Translation as Cross-Cultural Mediation on Croatian Tourist Board Websites

Tourist discourse has been recognized as a specialized type of cross-cultural communication. Thus, successful translation of tourist texts assumes that translators act as cross-cultural mediators on a number of levels. The rather low quality of translation in the tourism sector has been pointed out by several Translation Studies scholars. However, not much systematic empirical research on the quality of translation in this sector has been carried out. This paper analyses a corpus of multilingual websites produced by Croatian tourist boards. In the analysis of the data I rely on the criteria for assessing translation quality of web translation developed by Pierini (2007), and place a special focus on the achievement of pragmatic level equivalence between source and target texts as a major criterion of successful cross-cultural communication in the translation of tourism discourse.

Determination of Saffron Volatiles by HS-SBSE-GC in Flavored Cured Ham

At present, the development of new agri-food products, including flavored meat products presented in ready-to-eat vacuum packs, is encouraged. The addition of ingredients used as flavoring agents creates the need to be able to determine the volatile compounds responsible for their characteristic aroma. The aim of this study is to propose, develop, and validate a new method that uses headspace-stir bar sorptive extraction-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (HS-SBSE-GC/MS) to determine the saffron aroma in cured ham flavored with this spice. Results showed that safranal was the main volatile compound that could be identified and quantified in cured ham flavored with saffron. This analytical method was adequate in terms of linearity, selectivity, sensitivity, and accuracy. To our knowledge, this is the first time that an HS-SBSE-GC/MS method for determining the saffron aroma of flavored cured ham has been developed and validated, and it is of interest to agri-food industries.

Draft Genome Sequence of Psychrobacter okhotskensis Strain 5179-1A, Isolated from a Raw Cured Ham Storage Crate.

We present the draft genome sequence of Psychrobacter okhotskensis strain 5179-1A, which was isolated from a raw cured ham storage crate. Its size and GC content are 3.4 Mb and 43.4%, respectively. The 16S rRNA sequences of strain 5179-1A and P. okhotskensis MD17T are 100% identical.

Disentangling outbreaks using whole-genome sequencing: concurrent multistate outbreaks of Salmonella Kottbus in Germany, 2017.

In June 2017, an outbreak of Salmonella Kottbus infection was suspected in Germany. We investigated the outbreak with whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and a case-control study. Forty-six isolates from 69 cases were subtyped. Three WGS clusters were identified: cluster 1 (n = 36), cluster 2 (n = 5) and cluster 3 (n = 3). Compared to controls, cluster 1 cases more frequently consumed raw smoked ham (odds ratio (OR) 10, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.2-88) bought at supermarket chain X (OR 36, 95% CI 4-356; 9/10 consumed ham Y). All four cluster 2 cases interviewed had consumed quail eggs. Timely WGS was invaluable in distinguishing concurrent outbreaks of a rare Salmonella serotype.

Distribution of Listeria spp. on Carcasses of Regularly Slaughtered Swine for Italian Dry Cured Ham

Swine carcasses are often contaminated with Listeria spp. Heads are more contaminated than shoulders and thighs. Lairage time higher than 10 h is a risk factor for Listeria spp. contamination. Closed-cycle farms presented greater carcass contamination.

Effects of Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Protective Netting on Ham Mite Infestation and Fungal Growth on Dry Cured Hams

Effects of Temperature, Relative Humidity, and Protective Netting on Ham Mite Infestation and Fungal Growth on Dry Cured Hams

Changes in the Profiles of Metabolites Originating from Protein Degradation During Ripening of Dry Cured Ham

Ripening of dry cured ham involves a high number of complex enzymatic and chemical reactions. Due to long processing time, there is a need for analytical methods that can be applied to monitor the ripening in optimization of process conditions and development of new products. In this study, nontargeted metabolite analysis by mass spectrometry (MS) was employed to determine the ripening rates at different water activities in small-scale laboratory experiments and to follow the progress of the ripening of hams from a dry cured ham production facility. Approximately 1000 metabolites were detected. Of these, 90–95% had molecular masses below 800 Da, and more than 60% below 500 Da. In the order of 150 metabolites were putatively annotated. In addition to free amino acids and muscle metabolites, the nontargeted analysis revealed the time profiles of di- and tripeptides, as well as a high number of compounds generated by further conversion of amino acids, muscle metabolites and probably lipids. Statistical processing of the data sets showed that the metabolite profiles changed with the storage time, and that ripening of fresh and unsalted, dried meat, generated other profiles than salted samples. In conclusion, our approach represents a simple and efficient tool for comparison of process conditions and to follow the time course of the ripening, useful in product development and process optimization.

Impact of Relative Humidity and Net Treatments on Tyrophagus Putrescentiae (Schrank) Infestations and Mold Growth on Dry Cured Ham

ObjectivesDry cured hams are susceptible to mite infestations which are currently controlled in the U.S. dry cured ham industry via fumigation with methyl bromide. Since methyl bromide is an ozone depleting substance, food grade ingredient infused nets have been researched as an alternative to control mite infestations on dry cured hams. Mite infestations and mold growth vary on dry cured ham in untreated and treated nets due to environmental changes in relative humidity (RH) and temperature. Therefore, the objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of RH and infused nets on mite infestations and mold growth on dry cured hams.Materials and MethodsPatent pending food grade coating formulations consisting of 1) xanthan gum (XG) and propylene glycol (PG) and 2) carrageenan (CG), propylene glycol alginate (PGA), and PG were infused into ham nets. Dry cured ham cubes (2.5 cm3) and slices (2.5 cm × 9.0 cm × 15.5 cm) were wrapped with untreated (control) and 2 types of infused (treated) nets (XG + PG and CG + PGA + PG) and stored in ventilated glass jars. Three cubes and slices from each treatment were inoculated with 20 and 50 adult mites respectively, and stored in an environmental chamber for 14 d at 24°C and 65 ± 2, 75 ± 2, and 85 ± 2% RH. Mite infestation was determined by counting the mobile mites on ham cubes, slices, and nets using a microscope. Nine trained panelists rated the moldiness of ham slice surfaces on a 0 to 100% scale. A 3 × 3 factorial structure within a completely randomized design was used to determine the impact of RH and net treatment on mite infestations and mold growth. The least square means method was applied to separate treatment means.ResultsAt 65 and 75% RH, samples with treated nets had fewer (P < 0.05) mites than the control, but there were no differences (P > 0.05) between treated and control nets at 85% RH. On average, across net treatments, there were fewer mites (P < 0.05) at 75 and 85% RH in comparison to 65% RH. In addition, when averaged over RH, samples in XG and CG coated nets had fewer (P < 0.05) mites on ham slices compared to samples in untreated nets. Though there was no difference between XG and CG (P > 0.05) with respect to the number of mites on ham slices, the CG treatments were effective at controlling mites at all RHs. In contrast, the XG treatment did not control mites at 65% RH. There was a strong correlation (r = 0.98) between percentage of the ham slices covered with mold and number of mites present. Mold growth was greater (P < 0.05) at 65% RH in comparison to 75 and 85%, and XG and CG treatments had less mold growth than the control treatments, with the CG treatment completely inhibiting the presence of visual mold.ConclusionTreated nets inhibited mite infestations and mold growth on ham cubes at 65 and 75% RH and on ham slices at 65% RH. Results indicate that 75 and 85% RH would be more desirable in the ham industry if hams were aged at 24°C. Further testing will be performed to observe the impact of temperature on mite infestations and mold growth on ham cubes and slices at various RHs to optimize aging conditions that can used to help control mite infestations.

Application of Food Grade Coatings to Prevent Mite Infestion in Dry Cured Ham Processing Facilities

ObjectivesThe ham mite (Tyrophaus putrescentiae Schrank) is the predominant target pest for dry cured ham during aging. Methyl bromide is currently the only effective fumigant for controlling mite infestations in the dry-cured ham industry. However, methyl bromide is being phased out of all industries based on the Montreal Protocol. The objective of this research was to find viable, effective and economical alternatives for the dry cured ham processing facilities.Materials and MethodsFood grade coatings (patent pending) were made from combinations of 1) propylene glycol (PG), xanthan gum (XG), and water or 2) PG, propylene glycol alginates (PGA), carrageenan (CA) and water. Trials were conducted in the summers of 2014 and 2015 in 4 commercial processing facilities and a simulated aging house at Mississippi State University. Whole hams were dipped in coatings or applied to hams with a high pressure spray nozzle and aged for 5 to 8 mo. Difference from control sensory tests (6 to 10 trained panelists, 3 reps per plant) were conducted on ham slices that were removed from the treatment hams to determine the impact of the coatings on sensory quality.To make the coatings more applicable to the dry-cured ham industry, ham nets were infused with the coatings mentioned above and tested for their efficacy at controlling mite infestation. On the laboratory benchtop, 20 mites were inoculated onto single ham cubes (2.5cm × 2.5cm × 2.5cm) that were wrapped with ham nets that were treated with different coatings (n = 5/trt). Total numbers of mites were counted after 14 d of storage at 25°C and 70% relative humidity.Completely randomized design was utilized and Tukey’s test was used to separate the means for data analysis.ResultsControl and treated hams from the commercial trials in both years received sensory scores between 1.6 and 3.2 on the 5 point scale where 1 = no difference and 5 = very large difference. In 3 out of 5 plants, the CA + PGA and low concentration PG treatment hams were not different (p > 0.05) from the blind control treatments. However the high PG treatment was not different (p > 0.05) from the control in 2 out of 5 plants (only in trial 1). In addition, the XG and low concentration PG treatment was only different (P > 0.05) from the blind control in 1 out of 5 plants in both trials. This indicates that the coatings did not impact the flavor in some of the plants but did impact the flavor in the other plants. This may have been due to differences among the plants in non-meat ingredients that were used, aging temperature and humidity, and aging time.For coating infused nets, the mite infestation tests showed that cubes wrapped with nets that were treated with coatings had significantly lower numbers of mites, varying from 3 to 62, after 2 wk, while cubes from the negative control and the positive control with untreated nets had up to 554 mites each. This demonstrates that the treated nets inhibited the reproduction of mites on hams, with some nets performing better than others.ConclusionThe food grade coatings may be applicable for some, but not all, processors. In addition, the coating infused ham nets demonstrate the potential to control mite infestations and should be scaled up for commercial testing.

Application of Food-Grade Ingredients to Nets for Dry Cured Hams to Control Mite Infestations

Infestations of Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank; Sarcoptiformes: Acaridae), known as the ham mite, may occur on dry cured hams during the aging process. The fumigant methyl bromide is currently used to control mite infestations, but it will eventually not be available for use since it contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer. The use of ham nets treated with xanthan gum, carrageenan, propylene glycol alginate, and propylene glycol food-grade ingredients on mite orientation to or oviposition on treated or untreated ham cubes, and mite reproduction and population growth over a 10-wk period was evaluated. Behavioral tests indicated that more than 95% of the mites oriented to the ham cubes that were wrapped in untreated nets when compared to treated nets and no eggs were laid on the latter. The reproduction assays demonstrated that there were fewer (P &lt; 0.05) T. putrescentiae produced over a 2-wk period on ham cubes covered with both gum and propylene glycol treated nets, when compared to the untreated or gum-only treated nets over the 10-wk storage period of the experiment. Medium and high concentrations of propylene glycol treatments showed the lowest reproductive rates of mites. No more than 4 mites could be found on each of these treatments in comparison to 200 to 300 mites that were recorded on the untreated hams. This study demonstrated efficacy of using the nets treated with food-grade ingredients during ham aging to control mite infestations on a laboratory scale. Further research will be conducted to determine the effectiveness of the same treated nets on whole hams in commercial aging rooms.

Application of Food-Grade Ingredients Infused Nets to Control Mite Infestation on Dry Cured Ham

Application of Food-Grade Ingredients Infused Nets to Control Mite Infestation on Dry Cured Ham

High Pressure Processing (HPP) Does Not Affect Texture and Sensory Attributes of Smoked Hams Cured by Conventional and Alternative Methods

ObjectivesHigh Pressure Processing (HPP) is a post-lethality treatment applied on RTE meats to reduce or eliminate Listeria monocytogenes. Previous research showed that HPP can affect texture and sensory attributes by modifying the myofibrillar structure and inducing lipid oxidation. Additionally, the increasing demand for natural and organic products created niche markets for uncured and alternatively cured hams. This experiment evaluated the effects of HPP on texture profile, WBSF, and sensory attributes of uncured, and conventionally and alternatively cured hams.Materials and MethodsThirty-two boneless pork top rounds (m. semimembranosus and m. adductor) were obtained from a commercial USDA inspected plant. Eight samples were assigned to 1 of 4 curing treatments. Treatments included conventional curing with nitrite (TRT1), alternative curing with celery powder (TRT2), uncured with apple cider, wine, and garlic (TRT3), and alternative curing with celery powder and buffered vinegar (TRT4). Samples were injected to 110% of green weight with a brine solution, immersed for 3 d, and smoked for 10 h at 107°C until the final product reached at least 71.1°C at the geometric center. From each sample, a total of four 2.54 cm thick slices were obtained. Two were treated with HPP at 87,000 psi for 3 min (HPP) and 2 were assigned as HPP control (NOHPP). Texture profile analysis (TPA) was performed on 3 cubes (2.54 cm2) from each slice and WBSF was analyzed from six 1.27 cm cores. A consumer sensory panel (480 panelists, 16 sessions, 30 panelists per session) evaluated color, odor, flavor, texture, and overall desirability by using a numerical scale (1 = Dislike extremely and 9 = Like extremely). Panelists also scored off-flavor intensity from 1 = No off-flavor to 9 = Off-flavor extremely intense. Data was analyzed by using PROC GLIMMIX of SAS (SAS Inst. Inc., Cary, NC) as a split plot design where curing treatment was the whole plot and HPP the sub plot.ResultsHPP did not affect hardness, adhesiveness, springiness, gumminess, chewiness and WBSF of smoked hams. However, a significant effect of HPP was observed for cohesiveness (0.38 for NOHPP and 0.34 for HPP; P < 0.0001). No interaction between TRT and HPP was observed for any texture profile attributes. Curing treatment only affected springiness (6.21a, 6.28a, 5.78b, and 5.90ab, for TRT1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively; P = 0.03). For sensory analysis, interaction between TRT and HPP main effects were observed on odor (P = 0.02) and off-flavor (P = 0.006). No single effect of HPP was observed on other sensory attributes. Curing treatment affected color, flavor, texture, and overall desirability (P < 0.0001). Overall TRT1 and TRT4 had better scores when compared to TRT2 and TRT3.ConclusionHPP did not affect texture and WBSF of smoked hams cured by conventional and alternative methods. Hams cured conventionally and alternatively with celery powder and buffered vinegar had better color, flavor, and overall desirability. Uncured hams had the lowest overall desirability when compared to cured hams.

Antioxidant supplementation in pig nutrition: effects on shelf life of longissimus dorsi muscle and consumers’ preferences for smoked cured ham.

The effects of dietary supplementation with antioxidant mixture in medium-heavy swine on oxidative status, nutritional and sensory characteristics of longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle and smoked cured ham were evaluated. Seventy-four pigs (PIC x Max Grow), were assigned to two experimental groups: control (CT) and treated supplemented with antioxidant mixture (AOX) for 45 days before slaughter. The total antiradicalic activity of blood (KRL test) and carcass dressing percentage was positively affected (P<0.05) by AOX supplementation. Chemical composition of LD was not affected by dietary treatment. Oxidative stability and colour indices were significantly affected (P<0.05) by dietary treatment and storage time (0, 6, 12, 15 days under modified atmosphere packs - MAP). Sensory analysis revealed that at 12 and 15 days of storage a loss of colour beside presence of off odors was higher (P<0.05) in CT than AOX group. The seasoning losses of smoked cured ham tended to be lower (P=0.06) in AOX group than CT. Physical and chemical composition was not affected by dietary treatment. Sensory analysis revealed a difference between CT and AOX (P<0.05) in salty and sweet taste. Furthermore, the consumer test revealed that smoked cured ham from AOX were preferred (P<0.05) than CT. Dietary supplementation with antioxidant mixture improves total antioxidant status, carcass dressing percentage and smoked cured ham seasoning losses. The oxidative, colour stability and sensory parameters of LD muscle was improved in AOX groups during refrigerated storage in MAP. Antioxidant mixture positively affect the consumer preference of smoked cured ham, without affecting other quality parameters.

Volatile and Amino Acid Profiling of Dry Cured Hams from Different Swine Breeds and Processing Methods

The flavor of dry cured ham explains the high appreciation of this product and it determines consumer acceptance. Volatile compounds provide valuable information about the odor and sensory quality of dry cured hams. Since amino acids are the origin of some volatile compounds of dry cured ham, the volatile and amino acid compositions of forty-one dry cured hams from Spain and France were determined to establish associations between them. The samples included different pig breeds (non Iberian vs. Iberian), which were additionally affected by different maturation times and feeding types (acorn vs. fodder). Results showed that 20 volatile compounds were able to distinguish Iberian and non Iberian hams, and 16 of those had relevant sensory impact according to their odor activity values. 3-Methylbutanol, 2-heptanol and hexanal were among the most concentrated volatile compounds. In the case of non-volatile compounds, the concentrations of amino acids were generally higher in Iberian hams, and all the amino acids were able to distinguish Iberian from non Iberian hams with the exception of tryptophan and asparagine. A strong correlation of some amino acids with volatile compounds was found in the particular case of alcohols and aldehydes when only Iberian hams were considered. The high correlation values found in some cases proved that proteolysis plays an important role in aroma generation.

Supercritical Carbon Dioxide Processing of Dry Cured Ham Spiked with Listeria monocytogenes: Inactivation Kinetics, Color, and Sensory Evaluations

The feasibility of supercritical carbon dioxide (SC-CO2) treatment to inactivate Listeria monocytogenes inoculated on the surface of dry cured ham was investigated. A multibatch apparatus was used. Inactivation kinetics were determined at 8 and 12 MPa, as a function of temperatures (35–50 °C), treatment times (5–60 min), and initial microbial loads (103–107 colony-forming units [CFU]/g). Color changes of the sample were determined by measuring the reflectance spectra and L*, a*, and b* parameters. A new spectroscopic technique was developed for this. Sensory quality of the product before and after the SC-CO2 treatment was evaluated by a sensory panel. Treatment at 50 °C, 12 MPa for 15 min resulted in total inactivation of L. monocytogenes with an initial microbial load of 107 CFU/g. Less severe conditions, e.g., 45 °C, 12 MPa, 5 min, were sufficient to reach total inactivation if the initial microbial load was 103 CFU/g. The process slightly influenced the color and sensory attributes of the sample. The results demonstrated the efficiency and the potential of SC-CO2 as a technology for the pasteurization of the surface of foods, in particular ham-type meat products.

Sources of variation of iodine number and fatty acids profile in raw hams for dry curing

Dry cured ham is the most valuable product of the pig industry in Italy and quality of fat covering in fresh hams affects qualitative properties of the final product (Mordenti et al., 1992). High content of unsaturated fatty acids is a predisposing factor for fat with inadequate consistence and for oxydative processes during curing (Chizzolini et al., 1995). Iodine number and linoleic acid content are measures related to the degree of fat unsaturation and can be used to evaluate objectively quality aspects of fat covering of fresh hams (Bellati et al., 1996)...

Determination of the viability of Toxoplasma gondii in cured ham using bioassay: influence of technological processing and food safety implications.

Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii and distributed worldwide. Ingestion of viable cysts from infected raw or undercooked meat is an important route of horizontal transmission of the parasite to humans. Little information is available concerning the effect of commercial curing on cysts of T. gondii. This study is the first in which the influence of processing of cured ham on the viability of T. gondii has been evaluated, using bioassay to assess the risk of infection from eating this meat product. Naturally infected pigs were selected for the study, and a mouse concentration bioassay technique was used to demonstrate viable bradyzoites of T. gondii in porcine tissues and hams. No viable parasites were found in the final product (14 months of curing) based on results of the indirect immunofluorescence assay and histological and PCR analyses. Our results indicate that the consumption of hams cured as described here poses an insignificant risk of acquiring toxoplasmosis. However, additional studies are required to evaluate the safety of ham products cured under different conditions of curing time, salt, and nitrite concentration.