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El municipio de Jabugo es uno de los más importantes en la transformación del cerdo ibérico. En las últimas décadas el sector ha sufrido una transformación, con procesos de concentración, relocalización y posicionamiento entre sus empresas. Como resultado de ello, las grandes industrias han salido fortalecidas, y la Denominación de Origen Protegida “Jabugo” aparece como una oportunidad para el sector. The municipality of Jabugo is one of the most important in the transformation of the Iberian pork. In the last decades, the industry has undergone a transformation, with processes of concentration, relocation and positioning among the companies in the industry. As a result, large companies have been strengthened, and the Protected Designation of Origin “Jabugo" emerges as an opportunity for the sector.

Salt content analysis is needed to ensure a healthy level of sodium in foods. In Iberian hams, this is laborious, time consuming and destructive analysis. This study proposes the use of an active contour algorithm combined with computational textures on Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) to analyze salt diffusion in Iberian hams in a non-destructive way. Data mining techniques (OneR, J48 decision tree, and multiple linear regression) were tested for i) classifying ham muscles and processing stages as a function of salt diffusion and ii) predicting salt content. The proposed methods are useful to differentiate the images of different muscles and stages of processing. For classification purposes, the best procedure is applying the J48 decision tree on the Gray Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) method (77.88–79.21% of correct classification). For predicting salt content, the application of multiple linear regression on GLCM methods is accurate (R 2 = 0.972–0.994 and MAE = 0.007–0.044). Then, MRI, computational algorithms and data mining allow determining salt diffusion in Iberian hams in a non-destructive way.

Computer vision algorithms and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) have been proposed to obtain quality traits of Iberian hams, due to the non-destructive, non-ionizing and innocuous nature of these approaches. However, all the proposals have been based on high-field MRI scanners, which obtain high quality images but also involve very high economical costs. In this paper, low-field MRI devices and three classical texture algorithms were used to predict quality traits of Iberian ham. Prediction equation of quality features were obtained, which estimate the quality parameters as a function of computational textures. The texture features were obtained by applying three well-known classical texture algorithms (GLCM - Gray Level Co-occurrence Matrix, GLRLM - Gray Level Run Length Matrix and NGLDM - Neighbouring Gray Level Dependence Matrix) on low-field MRI. Being the first approach that exploits this type of scanner for this purpose in dry-cured meat, the predicted elements were compared and correlated to the results obtained by means of traditional physico-chemical methods. The obtained correlation were higher than 0.7 for almost all the quality traits, reached very good to excellent relationship. These high correlations between both sets of data (traditional and estimated results) prove that low-field MRI combined with texture algorithms could be used to estimate the quality traits of meat products in a non-destructive and efficient way.

La industria cárnica ha experimentado numerosos casos de fraude alimentario, destacando la mezcla de carne de caballo, de menor valor económico, con ternera. El jamón ibérico, producto de gran importancia en España, también ha experimentado actividades fraudulentas. Las prácticas fraudulentas relacionadas con el jamón ibérico son, principalmente, la manipulación de la documentación exigible y el etiquetado incorrecto. En este trabajo se propone un sistema de prevención y control del fraude en la industria del jamón ibérico. The meat industry has experienced many cases of food fraud, highlighting the mixture of horse meat, of lower economic value, with veal. Iberian ham, a product of great importance in Spain, has also experienced fraudulent activities. The fraudulent practices related to the Iberian ham are, mainly, the manipulation of the required documentation and the incorrect labeling. This work proposes a fraud prevention and control system in the Iberian ham industry. Universidad de Sevilla. Máster Universitario en Tecnología e Industria Alimentaria

Objetivo: analizar las percepciones sobre la calidad de jamón ibérico a través de las apreciaciones de los consumidores y de los vendedores. Basándose en la confianza entendida como interacción entre ambos agentes de la cadena alimentaria. Metodología: se utilizó una metodología cualitativa exploratoria aplicando un cuestionario a cien consumidores y treinta vendedores de jamón. Resultados: se encontró que los actuales procesos de producción y la incorporación de tecnología al sector del jamón ibérico muestra cuatro tipos de percepciones que se clasificaron en actuales positivos, mejor en el pasado, neutrales y permanentes. Limitaciones: fueron dos, la primera es que no se hizo una clasificación del tipo de vendedor; la segunda fue que el tamaño de la muestra no permite hacer generalizaciones, por lo cual para futuras investigaciones será necesario atender estas sugerencias. Conclusiones: los cambios en la concepción de calidad se relacionan con la percepción sobre la aplicación de las normativas del sector del jamón, pero fundamentalmente dependen de las relaciones de confianza dinámicas y construidas entre consumidor y vendedor.

Iberian/serrano ham is a food product with a long tradition in the Spanish diet that is increasingly demanded by national and international consumers. Spain has 5 protected designations of origin (PDO) and two protected geographical indications (PGI) that support the quality of this product, which is manufactured only in the Iberian Peninsula. Since 2013, and based on the culinary product of ham, public entities and some businessmen have been trying to promote tourism related to ham, similar to wine-based tourism. In this study, we attempt to understand the profile of a ham tourist in the three existing routes in Andalusia, as well as ham tourism&rsquo, s potential demand through seasonal auto-regressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) models. The results show that the profile of a ham tourist is similar to that of other typologies such as a tourist of wine or oil, and the demand has slow growth due to the novelty of this new tourism offering. Thus, there is a need to design strategies that allow the development of ham tourism, which will lead to an increase of wealth via employment in the local community.

The quality and sensory characteristics of Iberian ham are closely related to the pig feeding regime. These are mainly due to the inclusion or not of acorns into the diet, which significantly increases the content of monounsaturated fatty acids in this food product. In this work, the fatty acid profile from subcutaneous fat samples was evaluated and modeled with various chemometric approaches as a potential tool for authentication of Iberian ham from three categories according to the rearing system: &ldquo, Jam&oacute, n de Bellota&rdquo, &ldquo, n de Cebo de Campo&rdquo, and &ldquo, n de Cebo&rdquo, The application of artificial neural networks provided satisfactory classification and prediction rates, with oleic acid being the most important variable driving this differentiation.

The effect of Serrano and Iberian dry-cured ham processing and ripening on Listeria monocytogenes inactivation at the surface of whole hams was investigated. Salted hams were surface inoculated (6.5 log CFU) with a cocktail of 4 L. monocytogenes strains isolated from environment and products of a meat industry. Serrano and Iberian hams were ripened for 16 and 24 months, respectively. A decrease of at least 4.6 log units on the surface of Serrano ham was recorded after 4 months for L. monocytogenes counts, which remained under the detection limit thereafter. L. monocytogenes declined by >5 log units on the surface of Iberian ham during the first 9 months and was not detected afterwards. The higher nitrite content of Serrano ham might have accelerated the decrease of the pathogen. This study validates the inactivation of L. monocytogenes on the surface of whole dry-hams during extended ripening.

Iberian cured ham from purebred pigs fattened on grazing acorns is a highly appreciated product. There are several analytical methods to avoid its labelling fraud; however, these require opening the ham. The aim of this work is testing a non-destructive sampling method which does not spoil the physical integrity of the ham. It consists of a puncture with a needle imitating a traditional olfactory system. After removing the needle impregnated with fat, its volatiles are analyzed with a Gas Chromatography (GC) coupled to Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS). The potential of this methodology was studied analyzing 156 Iberian hams from pigs under two different feeding regimes (acorns versus feed) and from different breed (Iberian versus Duroc crossed). Intensity of GC-IMS plot features was extracted and chemometric differentiation models were obtained; one for feeding regime and another for breed, providing validated classification rates of 91.7% and 100%, respectively. In addition, 29 features used for construction of both models were tentatively identified using chemical standards. The suitability of the method for quality control analysis was characterized by means of a precision study. As a conclusion, GC-IMS becomes a useful tool to guarantee dry-cured Iberian ham authenticity and detect labelling fraud.

This work illuminates the connection between foodways and identity forging in Spain’s migration context. The concern of Moroccan and Pakistani Muslims over maintaining halal food practices conflicts with Spain’s reliance on and celebration of Iberian ham. This "two food cultures conflict," which I conceptualize as a halal/pork binary, can be traced back to the 15th century Spanish reconquista. However, Moroccan restaurateurs’ current revival of the convivencia (coexistence) narrative, their emphasis on a collective Andaluzi identity, and tapasization and halalization of Moroccan-Muslim and Spanish foodways are possible solutions to this tension. This identity work in the restaurant allows them to reconcile the cultural, religious, and gastronomic tensions between Muslims and non-Muslims in Spain and rewrites halal foodways into the Spanish foodscape. RESUMEN Este trabajo ilumina la relación entre las prácticas culinárias y la forja de identidad en el contexto migratorio de España. La preocupación de los musulmanes marroquíes y paquistaníes de mantener prácticas culinárias halal entra en conflicto con la dependencia y celebración española del jamón ibérico. Este "conflicto de dos culturas culinárias", lo que conceptualizo como un binario halal/cerdo, se remonta a la reconquista española del siglo XV. Sin embargo, el revival actual de los propietarios de restaurantes marroquíes de la narrativa de la convivência (coexistencia), su énfasis en una identidad andaluza colectiva y la conversión de prácticas culinárias marroquíes-musulmanas y españolas en platos estilo tapas y halal sirven como posibles soluciones a esta tensión. Este trabajo de identidad en el restaurante les permite reconciliar las tensiones culturales, religiosas y gastronómicas entre musulmanes y no musulmanes en España y reescribe las prácticas culinárias halal en el marco gastronómico español. RESUMO Este trabalho ilumina a conexão entre hábitos alimentares e forjamento de identidade no contexto da imigração na Espanha. A preocupação dos muçulmanos marroquinos e paquistaneses com a manutenção de práticas alimentares halal entra em conflito com a dependência e celebração do presunto ibérico na Espanha. Esse "conflito de duas culturas alimentares", o que conceituo como um binário halal/carne de porco, pode ser rastreado até a reconquista espanhola no século XV. No entanto, o res tabelecimento atual dos proprietários de restaurantes marroquinos da narrativa da convivência (coexistência), sua ênfase numa identidade coletiva de Andaluzia e sua "tapasização" e "halalização" de alimentos marro quinos muçulmanos e espanhóis servem como soluções possíveis para essa tensão. Este trabalho de identidade nos restaurantes permite-lhes reconciliar as tensões culturais, religiosas e gastronômicas entre muçulmanos e não muçulmanos na Espanha e reescreve os alimentos halal dentro da paisagem alimentar espanhola.

In this study, data mining technique was applied on computational texture features obtained from the analysis of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of hams, with the main objective of determining sensory attributes of dry-cured ham non-destructively. For that, fresh and dry-cured hams were scanned and then the MRI images were analyzed by three methods of computational texture features. Data mining was applied on the computational texture features from fresh and dry-cured hams for obtaining prediction equations of the sensory attributes of dry-cured hams. The correlation coefficient (R) was used to analyze the results. Accurate prediction was found for 13 sensory attributes as a function of computational texture features of fresh ham, and three from dry-cured ham. In addition, a sensory analysis of dry-cured hams was also carried out to validate the predicted results. Similar values were found between the predicted attributes and those determined by sensory analysis. Thus, it is possible to predict sensory attributes of dry-cured hams by applying data mining on computational texture features of MRI from fresh and dry-cured hams. This supposes the chance of determining non-destructively sensory attributes of dry-cured hams, even before the curing process starts.

The aim of this study was to investigate the usefulness of a Selected Ion Flow Tube-Mass Spectrometry (SIFT-MS) equipment to tentatively quantify relevant volatile compounds of dry-cured Iberian ham, and to differentiate Iberian hams from pigs reared at four different conditions yielding different commercial grades. The SIFT-MS analysis allowed the rapid quantification of 39 Iberian ham volatile compounds, 16 of them being significantly affected by the rearing conditions of pigs. The full spectra SIFT-MS data allowed the correct classification of 79.2% of hams according to diet, which is a smaller percentage than that obtained using intramuscular fatty acid data (95.8%) obtained by using a gas chromatograph-flame ionization detector after lipid extraction and transesterification. Therefore, the SIFT-MS analysis would be a rapid tool to tentatively quantify some relevant volatile compounds, and also would provide a rapid but rough classification of Iberian ham according to the rearing conditions of pigs.

Dry-cured Iberian ham is a meat product prone to be contaminated by ochratoxin A (OTA) because of colonisation by OTA-producing Penicillia on the surface of the product during its ripening. The ability of non-toxigenic moulds to control the growth of indigenous ochratoxigenic strains and OTA accumulation on this product was evaluated. Two protective cultures consisting of the antifungal protein-producing Penicillium chrysogenum RP42C and a mix of selected autochthonous non-toxigenic mould strains were spread on the surface of 45 dry-cured Iberian hams at drying stage and ripened up to 9 additional months. The results showed that the RP42C strain limited the growth of OTA-producing moulds and mainly the OTA accumulation in dry-cured Iberian ham throughout the processing in the meat industry. The use of protective cultures of non-toxigenic mould strains combined with an appropriate HACCP plan holds potential for reducing health hazard of OTA accumulation in dry-cured Iberian ham.

A medida que avanzan los estudios sobre el polisémico ámbito de la alimentación humana, resulta más necesario considerar mayor número de variables para analizar con solvencia el hecho alimentario. Más allá de los estudios sobre las fases de producción y distribución, nuestra propuesta se centra en la fase del consumo y trata de identificar los elementos que explican por qué las sociedades seleccionan y prefieren unos alimentos en detrimento de otros. Actualmente, la selección alimentaria está intrínsecamente presente en el hecho alimentario de las sociedades modernas, relegando a un segundo plano los factores biológicos y fisiológicos, en relación a parámetros dominantes comparados con el placer, la salud y la sociabilidad. Mediante una combinación de técnicas cuantitativas y cualitativas, este estudio propone la relevancia de dimensiones como el placer y la salud como elementos que guían a los consumidores para elegir un determinado producto gourmet, como es el caso del jamón ibérico en España. Palabras clave: Selección de alimentos; Hecho alimentario; Placer; Salud; Sociabilidad; Jamón ibérico. As studies on the polysemic field of human nutrition progress, it is has become necessary to consider a greater number of variables when analysing the reality of food. Our proposal goes beyond studies based on the production and distribution phases, and focuses instead on the consumption phase in an effort to identify the elements that explain why societies choose and prefer some foods over others. Nowadays, food choice is intrinsically present in food as a reality of modern societies, relegating biological and physiological factors in relation to the dominant parameters of pleasure, health and sociability. Through a combination of quantitative and qualitative techniques, this study proposes pleasure and health as elements that guide consumers to choosing a particular gourmet product, as in the case of Iberian ham in Spain.

Objective: To evaluate the impact that the moderate and regular consumption of Cinco Jotas acorn-fed 100% Iberian ham has on overall cardiovascular risk, lipid parameters, blood pressure, and weight. Methods: A longitudinal, analytical, and quasi-experimental clinical study with repeated measures was carried out with 100 randomly selected individuals in primary care. The sample population included men and women (64%) between the ages of 25 and 55 (42.08, SD 9.6) who were not diagnosed with any cardiovascular illness or diabetes, were not undergoing antihypertensive treatment, nor taking lipid-lowering drugs. There were four visits during a 2-week washout period for the first of three phases. Phases 2 and 3 included an 8-week habitual diet phase followed by an 8- week intervention phase when participants consumed 40 g daily of acorn-fed 100% Cinco Jotas Iberian ham. Measurements of cardiovascular risk factors were taken following the SCORE table. These included total cholesterol, high-density lipoproteins cholesterol (HDL-c), low-density lipoproteins cholesterol (LDL-c), triglycerides (TG), and weight. Results: The average vascular risk (SCORE) was 0.20 (SD 0.49) before the consumption phase and 0.18 (SD 0.48) at the end of the study (p > 0.05). An increase in HDL-c of 5 mg/dl was observed while there was a decrease in LDL-c and TG of 10 mg/dl (p < 0.05). There were no differences in total cholesterol levels, blood pressure, or weight; nor were differences observed in average consumption of calories, protein, lipids, carbohydrates, or alcohol (p > 0.05). Conclusions: The daily consumption of 40 g of Cinco Jotas acorn-fed 100% Iberian ham does not increase the risk of cardiovascular disease and has a favorable impact on lipid levels without affecting blood pressure or weight.

The effect of high pressure processing (HPP) at 600 MPa and refrigerated storage for 5 months on the volatile fraction of 30 Iberian dry-cured hams of different compositional characteristics was investigated. Compositional characteristics significantly influenced 11 compounds (3 alcohols, 3 carboxylic acids, 2 alkanes, 2 benzene compounds and 1 aldehyde) out of the 116 compounds identified in the volatile fraction of Iberian ham. HPP treatment had a significant effect on 34 volatile compounds, with higher levels of 11 compounds and lower levels of 23 compounds in HPP-treated samples than in control samples. Refrigerated storage for 5 months significantly influenced the levels of 75 compounds, 25 of which appeared or increased while 50 disappeared or decreased. During that period, the total abundance of volatile compounds decreased by 5.1% in control ham and 1.3% in HPP-treated ham. Iberian ham commercial shelf life should be limited to maintain its sensory characteristics. Industrial relevance HPP treatment and refrigerated storage of dry-cured ham are advantageous industrial and commercial procedures. In the particular case of Iberian ham, both HPP and refrigerated storage brought about a decrease in the total levels of volatile compounds. Therefore, adequate HPP treatment conditions and commercial shelf life should be cautiously set in order to safeguard the unique odor and aroma characteristics of Iberian ham.

El municipio de Jabugo es uno de los más importantes en la transformación del cerdo ibérico. En las últimas décadas el sector ha sufrido una transformación, con procesos de concentración, relocalización y posicionamiento entre sus empresas. Como resultado de ello, las grandes industrias han salido fortalecidas, y la Denominación de Origen Protegida “Jabugo” aparece como una oportunidad para el sector., The municipality of Jabugo is one of the most important in the transformation of the Iberian pork. In the last decades, the industry has undergone a transformation, with processes of concentration, relocation and positioning among the companies in the industry. As a result, large companies have been strengthened, and the Protected Designation of Origin “Jabugo" emerges as an opportunity for the sector

In recent years, Gas Chromatography-Ion Mobility Spectrometry (GC-IMS) has been successfully employed in food science as a control technique for the prevention of fraud according to food and labeling regulations. In this work, we propose the use of GC-IMS technique to assess the quality of Iberian ham with regard to the Iberian Pig's diet (either nourished with feed or with acorns). For this purpose, we have acquired a dataset composed of 53 samples of Iberian ham from different food providers using a commercial GC-IMS (FlavourSpec, from G.A.S. Dortmund, Germany). Intensive signal pre-processing for GC-IMS was applied to the raw data. This dataset was employed to create four Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLSDA) models corresponding to different train/test partitions of the dataset. Nearly perfect classification rates (above 91 %) were obtained for each partition of the dataset, denoting the high power of GC-IMS to characterize food samples.

Los acaros, pertenecientes al orden “Astigmata”, son uno de los problemas mas importantes que afectan a la industria carnica dedicada a la fabricacion de productos secos y curados, principalmente al jamon, ocasionando incalculables perdidas economicas en este renglon de la economia. Considerados una plaga, ocasionan alteraciones organolepticas e incluso la putrefaccion del producto, ademas de ser fuente potencial de bacterias alterantes y/o patogenas. De esta forma, el control de los acaros debe suponer el uso de un metodo que permita controlar su actividad o erradicarlos, sin embargo, se debe tener en cuenta la naturaleza de estos productos carnicos para evitar causar alteraciones fisicas, quimicas u organolepticas al producto final o ir en contra del proceso de elaboracion del Jamon. REVISTA Innovaciencia Universidad de Santander - UDES Facultad de Ciencias Fisicas, Exactas y Naturales Campus Universitario Lagos del Cacique Bloque Motilones. Tercer Piso Tel: 57-7-6516500, Ext: 1783 Bucaramanga, Colombia

This study aims to forecast quality characteristics of Iberian hams by using non-destructive methods of analysis and data mining. Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computer Vision Techniques were conducted on hams throughout their processing. Physico-chemical parameters were also measured in these products. Information from these analyses was integrated in a database. First, deductive techniques of data mining were applied to these data. Multiple linear regression allows for the estimation of information from Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Computer Vision Techniques and physico-chemical analysis. This enables the completion of the initial database. Then, predictive techniques of data mining were applied. Both, multiple linear regression and isotonic regression achieved the prediction of weight, moisture and lipid content of hams as a function of features obtained by Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computer Vision Techniques. Thus, data mining, Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Computer Vision Techniques could be used to estimate the quality traits of Iberian hams. This allows for the improvement of the process control without destroying any piece.

Dry-cured Iberian pork products have long been a traditional and highly appreciated delicacy in Spain, and because of their excellent sensorial and nutritional qualities, their market is now growing rapidly worldwide. They are usually marketed in a whole-piece format or sliced in vacuum-packed trays, but both of these formats present problems for the consumer (difficulty of slicing the whole piece, loss of sensory properties once the vacuum-packed tray is opened …). This paper uses conjoint analysis to examine a new packaging format (called “slice slab”) for dry-cured meat products that aims to overcome these problems. The product selected for analysis was Iberian dry-cured ham, as it is the most frequently consumed Iberian pork product. Data were collected by means of a survey conducted with 320 Spanish consumers from January to May 2010. Overall, the consumers preferred Iberian mast-fed ham, conventionally sliced and at the lowest price (5 €/100 g). Three well-defined preference-based clusters were identified: traditional consumers (n = 114), price-insensitive consumers (n = 113) and innovative consumers (n = 93). Analysis of the clusters indicated that sliced slab ham may be an interesting alternative for the most innovative consumers, who are willing to pay a premium for this packaging format. Practical Applications This study has presented a methodological guideline to analyze the importance of packaging in shaping consumers' preferences. In this context, the use of conjoint analysis may have a great potential for testing and evaluating both the acceptance and the economic feasibility of new packaging formats in the food market. Its results can also be used for a preference-based segmentation, which would allow target markets to be identified in which consumers' willingness-to-pay can be evaluated beforehand. The present work may therefore constitute a starting point in the search for new forms of presentation for both cured meat products and other foodstuffs that will be well accepted by the consumer. In particular, it opens the way for further research into sensory analysis in the context of testing and improving in the presentation of new foodstuff formats.

Summary This research tries to explain the importance of intangible resources in explaining the international diversification of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). Our starting position is that SMEs diversify to leverage their resources across different markets, and therefore a positive relationship is to be expected between technological, human and reputational resources, and diversification. These resources can be held internally by each firm, as proposed by the resource-based view, or, when the SMEs belong to a cluster, they also can be collectively created among neighbouring firms. Empirical evidence was obtained from a sample of 250 SMEs located in the Iberian Ham cluster. The results suggest that SMEs tend to rely on their technological resources and individual reputation to help them become exporters, but when it comes to their diversification through expanding into different overseas markets, collective reputation and human resources become more important.

The volatile fraction of 30 Iberian dry-cured hams of different physicochemical characteristics and the effect of high pressure processing (HPP) at 600 MPa on volatile compounds were investigated. According to the analysis of variance carried out on the levels of 122 volatile compounds, intramuscular fat content influenced the levels of 8 benzene compounds, 5 carboxylic acids, 2 ketones, 2 furanones, 1 alcohol, 1 aldehyde and 1 sulfur compound, salt concentration influenced the levels of 1 aldehyde and 1 ketone, salt-in-lean ratio had no effect on volatile compounds, and water activity influenced the levels of 3 sulfur compounds, 1 alcohol and 1 aldehyde. HPP-treated samples of Iberian ham had higher levels of 4 compounds and lower levels of 31 compounds than untreated samples. A higher influence of HPP treatment on volatile compounds than physicochemical characteristics was observed for Iberian ham. Therefore, HPP treatment conditions should be optimized in order to diminish its possible effect on Iberian ham odor and aroma characteristics. © 2017 Elsevier Ltd

The aim of this work focuses on the study of low molecular weight (LMW) compounds with antioxidant and antihy-pertensive effect in Iberian ham and La Serena cheese, two traditional products in Spain, in comparison to cured ham and matured Ewe’s milk cheese. Proteolysis parameters were studied, LMW compounds were isolated and their antioxidant and antihypertensive activity was analyzed. Results showed that a more intense proteolysis, expressed as peptidic nitrogen (PN), in Iberian ham (p < 0.001), can cause higher antioxidant activity in this product for both DPPH radical scavenging (p < 0.001) and metal chelating effect (p < 0.001). However, a more intense proteolysis in La Serena cheese, expressed as non protein nitrogen (NPN) (p < 0.001) and PN (p < 0.001), did not promote higher antioxidant activity in this cheese. On the other hand, no differences were found for antihypertensive activity, expressed as angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity, in both type of hams or cheese.

14 Páginas; 4 Tablas; 5 Figuras, Variations in the amounts of volatile alcohols and esters from subcutaneous fat have been assessed during the dry-curing process (1022 days) of Iberian ham according to a purge and trap-gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy method, using the same hams throughout the process. During processing time, the subcutaneous adipose tissues of ten hams obtained from five Iberian pigs fed on acorns and pasture were sampled and analyzed once per month. Fifteen alcohols and five esters have been identified. All volatile alcohols detected in this work have been previously identified by other authors on Iberian ham, except 3-buten-2-ol, 5-methyl-3-hexanol and 2-isononanol. A linear discriminant analysis (LDA) was applied and the two discriminant functions were obtained using backward stepwise analysis retaining the following variables: butyl ester formic acid, 1-penten-3-ol, methyl ester 2-propenoic acid, 5-methyl-3-hexanol, 1-nonanol, ethyl ester pentanoic acid, ethyl ester hexanoic acid, 2-isononanol, ethanol and 3-buten-2-ol. A complete separation among the three periods was obtained, suggesting that the retained variables are powerful descriptors to distinguish samples from these three dry-curing stages., Estudio de los alcoholes y ésteres volátiles de la grasa subcutánea durante la maduración del jamón ibérico. Una herramienta para predecir el tiempo de curación. Se han evaluado durante el proceso de curación (1022 días), las variaciones en los contenidos de alcoholes y ésteres volátiles de la grasa subcutánea del jamón ibérico mediante la técnica de acoplamiento purga y trampa- cromatografía de gases-espectrometría de masas, utilizando los mismos jamones a lo largo de todo el proceso. Durante el tiempo de curación se muestreó y analizó una vez al mes el tejido adiposo subcutáneo de diez jamones procedente de cinco cerdos ibéricos alimentados con bellotas y pastos. Se han identificado quince alcoholes y cinco ésteres volátiles. Todos los alcoholes descritos en este trabajo han sido identificados previamente por otros autores en el jamón ibérico, excepto el 3-buten-2-ol, el 5-metil-3-hexanol y el 2-isononanol. Un análisis lineal discriminante por pasos (LDA) fue aplicado y se obtuvieron dos funciones discriminantes las variables incluidas en el modelo fueron: formiato de butilo, 1-penten-3-ol, 2-propenoato de metilo, 5-metil-3- hexanol, 1-nonanol, pentanoato de etilo, hexanoato de etilo, 2-isononanol, etanol y 3-buten-2-ol. Obteniéndose una completa separación entre los tres períodos, lo que sugiere que las variables indicadas son poderosos descriptores para distinguir entre las tres etapas de curación., The authors are grateful to the Designated Origin “Los Pedroches” and IBESA for their collaboration and help. This study was supported by project P08-AGR-03498.

Resumen Las denominaciones de origen tienen una larga historia en España y el caso del jamón no es una excepción. La denominación de origen protegida del jamón ibérico "Los Pedroches" constituye un ejemplo de simbiosis entre esta figura y la de las rutas gastronómicas. En este trabajo se ha realizado un análisis del perfil del visitante de la comarca en la que esta denominación se asienta, con el objetivo de recabar información que sirva para promover la mencionada denominación como ruta gastronómica y, de esta manera, incrementar las fuentes de ingresos y los niveles de renta y empleo de la población local, potenciando asimismo la multifuncionalidad del territorio rural de la zona. Abstract Designations of origin have a long history in Spain, and in the case of ham they are not the exception. The protected designation of origin of the Iberian ham "Los Pedroches" is an example the symbiosis between this figure and that of culinary routes. In this work we carried out an analysis of the profile of visitors of the region where this designation is located, aiming to collect information which can be useful in the promotion of said designation as a culinary route. The purpose is to increase the sources of revenue and the income and employment levels for the local population while also boosting the multifunctionality of the rural territory of the region.

Accumulation of ochratoxin A (OTA) on the surface and to a 0.5 cm depth of dry-cured Iberian ham after initial fungal growth was investigated. For this, 20 dry-cured Iberian hams from the drying stage showing incipient fungal growth on the surface were analyzed. In addition, the presence of OTA-producing molds was examined on the surface of the hams by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) based on the otanpsPN gene. Quantification of specific OTA-producing molds, such as Penicillium nordicum and Penicillium verrucosum was also achieved on the hams by specific qPCR methods. Ten of 20 dry-cured hams showed OTA at higher levels than those established by legal regulation. OTA was even detected in the deep section of hams. OTA-producing molds ranged from 1.5 to 7.3 log cfu/cm². Accumulation of OTA on the hams seems to be related to the presence of OTA-producing molds and especially to P. nordicum.

This research examined whether firms that concentrate geographically perform better or worse than their more dispersed counterparts. While belonging to a cluster may have positive externalities for proximate firms, there can also be congestion economies that counterbalance these advantages. Having identified existing ham-producing establishments in the Iberian ham cluster, a sample of 265 firms was selected and it was confirmed that as the number of neighbouring firms increases performance increases. Also, the proximity to larger firms in the same province benefit smaller firms. This positive effect that geographical concentration has on performance is explained by access to valuable natural resources, workers, higher demand, knowledge spillovers, and lower transaction costs, which may help managers and policy-makers in their investment decisions, as well as contributing to the dearth of existing research and its contradictory nature.

This paper describes the Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) contrastive analysis of Iberian hams from pigs that have been fattened only with acorns and grass (AG) and those that have been fattened with high oleic acid concentrates (HO). Based on computer vision techniques, the implemented methods of image processing allowed for the automatic recognition of the Biceps femoris muscle as well as for computational texture feature detection in the muscle. The data collected was then checked against physical–chemical composition. The MRI sequence obtained displayed markedly visual differences in terms of the grey hue for both muscle (darker in AG-fed hams) and inter-muscular and intra-muscular fat (darker in HO hams). Most computational texture characteristics proved to be statistically different between the AG and HO image sets. Two groups (G1 and G2) of texture features were derived. G1 was closely related to linolenic acid (C18:3 n-3) and γ-tocopherol, defining Iberian ham of AG pigs, while G2 was associated with HO pigs. Thus MRI-based analyses enable visual distinction of Iberian hams according to the feeding background. This distinction is also achieved computationally via the examination of the texture features in the muscles.

The most odour-active compounds of different bone tainted dry-cured Iberian hams were researched using the detection frequency method. Most of the odourants identified were found in all the Iberian hams (spoiled and unspoiled). Some compounds (ethyl butanoate, dimethyl disulfide, phenylacetaldehyde, acetic, propanoic, butanoic, 3-methylbutanoic and pentanoic acids) were identified in the spoiled hams as Iberian ham odourants for the first time. The detection frequency (DF) values for the spoiled and the unspoiled hams were markedly different. The main differences were found for 2-methylpropanal, ethyl-2-methylpropanoate, ethyl-2-methylbutanoate, phenylacetaldehyde and methional (the lowest DF values were found in the unspoiled ham) and hexanal (the largest DF value was found in the unspoiled ham). Spoiled hams with a different global odour had different DF values.

BACKGROUND: This work was designed to study the effect of pre-cure freezing of raw thighs from Iberian pigs on the profile of volatile compounds during the processing of hams. RESULTS: Generation of volatile compounds during Iberian ham processing was similar in both pre-cure frozen and refrigerated hams, the main differences being at the final stage. The levels of 2-methylbutanal, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 2,3-butanediol and 2-heptanol were significantly higher in dry-cured hams that were pre-cure frozen than in refrigerated ones, whereas the content of most detected esters was statistically lower in pre-cure frozen than in refrigerated hams. CONCLUSION: The effect of pre-cure freezing of Iberian ham on the profile of volatile compounds during ripening was not remarkable. Few differences were found in the final product, which would not greatly modify the aroma and flavour features of the dry-cured hams. Copyright © 2010 Society of Chemical Industry

This paper analyzes consumers' preferences for Iberian dry-cured ham, one of the most typical and highly prized meat products in Spain. The data were obtained by a survey carried out between April and May 2006 with a sample of 417 consumers in Extremadura (SW Spain). Conjoint Analysis was used to estimate the relative importance of the main attributes affecting preferences for Iberian ham and to create consumer segments with similar preference profiles. Results have shown that Price and Type of ham are the most important attributes for the choice of ham. Simulation analyses determined the surcharge that consumers are willing to pay for an Iberian mast-fed ham instead of an Iberian ham, thus identifying an ideal cluster for Iberian mast-fed ham.

Contents The Iberian pig is an autochthonous breed of the Mediterranean area, reared extensively in the central and southern areas of Spain and Portugal and that is known worldwide for the production of Iberian ham. The characteristics of the Iberian ham are related to its abundance of intramuscular fat, owing to the high capacity of the pig to accumulate fat under its skin and between the muscular fibres. This ability to store excess fat enables survival during periods of scarcity and it has been found in other antique animal breeds and even in humans, being named as the thrifty genotype. The reproductive management of the Iberian pig, in spite of a lack of accurate information unlike in other swine breeds, is based on the assumption of lower reproductive precocity and efficiency than the modern commercial breeds. The current study characterized and compared the onset of puberty in gilts of Iberian breed and meat commercial crosses (Large White × Landrace) reared in the same conditions by assessing weekly plasma progesterone profiles. At the end of the experimental period, when the gilts became 180 days old, the percentage of Iberian females that had reached puberty was 72.2%, with a mean age and weight of 160.5 ± 2.6 days and 92.9 ± 4.7 kg, respectively. The percentage of Large White × Landrace cross-breed females reaching puberty at 180 days was only 15% (p

A headspace SPME procedure was tested to study the evolution of volatile compounds during the ripening of Iberian hams from pigs reared in a Montanera system (outdoorbased, with acorn and pasture available) and a HO-Pienso system (indoor-based, with a high oleic acid concentrate). The effect of the ripening time on volatile compounds was more marked than the effect of feeding system. Most volatile compounds affected by the ripening time were compounds that come from Strecker and Maillard reactions, which increased significantly ( < 0.05) during the ripening time. This trend was clear for the volatile compounds 2- methylpropanal, 2-methylbutanal, 2-methy-l-butanol, disulfide dimethyl, 2,6-dimethylpyrazine + dihidro-2(3H) furanone and benzenemethanol and, therefore they could be used as indicators of the ripening time. Conversely, some of the lipid oxidation-derived compounds decreased significantly throughout ham processing. Feeding system had a weak effect on volatile compounds, but it was significant for some compounds (p < 0.05). Some of them (butanoic acid, 2,6- dimethylpirazyne and 1-octen-3-ol) were more abundant in Montanera than in Pienso hams. These small differences could be important because they involve compounds that have been identified as Iberian ham odorants.Un procedimiento de microextración en fase sólida (SPME) en espacio de cabeza fue ensayado para estudiar la evolución de los compuestos volátiles durante la curación de Jamones Ibéricos de cerdos criados en régimen de montanera (en libertad, con bellotas y pasto disponible) y un sistema OH-Pienso (estabulados, con un pienso alto en ácido oléico). El efecto del tiempo de curación en los compuestos volátiles fue más marcado que el efecto de la alimentación. La mayoría de los compuestos volátiles afectados por el tiempo de curación fueron compuestos que proceden de la reacción de Strecker y Maillard, que se incrementaron significativamente (p < 0.05) durante el tiempo de curación. Esta tendencia fue clara para los compuestos volátiles: 2-metilpropanal, 2-metilbutanal, 2-metil-1-butanol, disulfuro de dimetilo, 2,6.dimetilpiracina + dihidro-2(3H)furanona y bencenometanol y, por tanto ellos podrían ser usados como indicadores del tiempo de maduración. Por el contrario, algunos compuestos derivados de la oxidación lipídica disminuyeron significativamente durante el procesado del jamón. El sistema de alimentación tuvo un ligero efecto en los compuestos volátiles, aunque fue significativo para algunos compuestos (p < 0.05). Algunos de ellos (ácido butanoico, 2,6- dimetilpiracina y 1-octen-3-ol) fueron más abundantes en jamones de Montanera que en jamones de Pienso. Estas pequeñas diferencias podrían ser importantes porque los compuestos involucrados han sido identificados como aromas del jamón Ibérico.

One hundred and seventeen yeast strains isolated from dry-cured Iberian ham from the four different protected designations of origin of Spain were investigated for their volatile compound production. The yeast strains were grouped into the two main yeast species usually found in this product ( Debaryomyces hansenii and Candida zeylanoides ) and 10 different biotypes by restriction mitochondrial DNA analysis. Yeast strains were grown in a designed model culture medium under conditions representative of dry-cured ham processing. Volatile compounds were extracted from this medium using solid-phase micro-extraction and were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. Marked differences in volatile compound production were found between D. hansenii and C. zeylanoides and between the mitochondrial DNA patterns of these species . Two of the mitochondrial DNA patterns of D. hansenii exhibited the highest production of the volatile compounds involved in the dry-cured flavour. Consequently, these patterns of D. hansenii should be proposed as starter cultures for dry-cured ham.