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Allium mongolicum is a kind of plant with edible, medicinal and feeding value. The effects of ethanol and water extracts of Allium mongolicum on thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), nitrite residue, carbonyl group, volatile base nitrogen (TVB-N) and microstructure were investigated in pork dry-cured sausages during ripening. Without added extracts groups were adopted as negative controls (CK), and adding ascorbic acid groups (VC) were used as positive controls. Results showed that compared with CK, TBARS of ethanol, water extracts and VC groups were significantly reduced. Ethanol extracts, water extracts and VC significantly decreased residual nitrite of sausages (P 05) comparing with CK. Ethanol extracts have better ability than water extracts in reducing carbonyl content and TVB-N. The microstructure of the CK was the worst, and the microstructure of ethanol extracts group was the best. It was concluded that ethanol extracts of Allium mongolicum could be used to produce dry-cured sausage to improve safety and quality.

Excessive bitterness, pastiness, and adhesiveness are the main organoleptic and textural defects of dry-cured ham, which often cause a lot of financial losses to manufacturers and seriously damage the quality of the product. These sensory and textural defects are related to the protein degradation of dry-cured ham. Proteomics shows great potential to improve our understanding of the molecular mechanism of sensory and textural defects and identify biomarkers for monitoring their quality traits. This review presents some of the major achievements and considerations in organoleptic and textural defects of dry-cured ham by proteomics analysis in the recent decades and gives an overview about how to correct sensory and textural defects of dry-cured ham. Proteomics reveals that muscle proteins derived from myofibril and cytoskeleton and involved in metabolic enzymes and oxygen transport have been identified as potential biomarkers in defective dry-cured ham. Relatively high residual activities of cathepsin B and L are responsible for the excessive degradation of these protein biomarkers in defective dry-cured ham. Ultrasound-assisted mild thermal or high-pressure treatment shows a good correction for the organoleptic and textural defects of dry-cured ham by changing microstructure and conformation of muscle proteins by accelerating degradation of proteins and polypeptides into free amino acids.

This study investigated the effect of pig breeds on the quality characteristics of dry-cured loins according to the processing stage. Physicochemical properties of 20 dry-cured processed loins with the different pig breeds [Berkshire vs Landrace×Yorkshire× Duroc (LYD; n=10)] and different processing stages (raw, curing, dry-ripened 15 day and 30 day) were analyzed. The pig breed influenced moisture content and pH with values of 59% and 53%, and 6.17 and 5.94, for Berkshire and LYD, respectively, on day 30. Dry-cured loins made with Berkshire showed higher hardness and lower cohesiveness than that of the LYD (p0.05). However, sulfhydryl content was significantly higher in Berkshire compared to the LYD after dry-ripened for 15 days (p

The stability after hydrostatic high pressure (HHP) (600 MPa/8 min/10 °C) and 180 days of storage at 4 and 20 °C was evaluated on Iberian dry-cured pork sausages (chorizo) packaged sliced or as half-pieces from pigs raised outdoors. Microbiological, physical-chemical, oxidative, and sensory changes were analyzed. The evolution of mesophilic aerobic and molds and yeasts counts was different in the half and sliced packaged pork sausages after processing and during storage. Sliced and half-packaged pork sausages had instrumental color stability after HHP and during storage. TBA-RS values were quite stable in both products. Protein oxidation values of pork sausage in half-products were increased by at 20 °C. In sliced pork sausage, both HPP and 20 °C storage favored the development of protein oxidation at the end of storage. In the sensory analysis, the sliced product developed more rancidity than the half-pieces during the storage. Therefore, the storage temperature has great importance for the preservation of dry-cured pork sausages, the increases of protein oxidation, and rancidity could reduce the shelf-life at these conditions. The presentation of the product is also relevant when HHP is applied, and this would also compromise the stability of the product when it is stored at room temperature. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Chorizo is a traditional dry-fermented pork sausage that is generally considered to be microbiologically safe. However, the initial contamination of the raw materials, and some processes, such as the slicing or packaging, can compromise the safety of these products. Additionally, packaged dry-cured sausages require long shelf-life, and although they are normally stored at refrigeration temperature; sometimes, they are preserved at room temperature. The application of hydrostatic high pressure could increase the safety of dry-cured meat products even when they are stored at room temperature. Initial characteristics of each type of pork sausage could determine their technological behavior during processing or during storage under different conditions.

coli is part of the normal gastrointestinal microbial flora of humans and animals. E. coli bacteria causing enteric/diarrhoeal disease are categorized into different groups based on their virulence properties and pathogenic features in humans. Enterohaemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) are E. coli strains that cause bloody diarrhoea and haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS) in humans, and have a defined zoonotic association. The major virulence factor of EHEC (and the actual cause of HUS) is the ability to produce Shiga toxins (Stx), thus the name Shiga Toxin Producing E. coli (STEC). With enteropathogenic Escherichia coli (EPEC), the diarrhoea in these patients is due to attaching and effacing (A/E) lesions in the enteric epithelium. This risk assessment was conducted after a human outbreak of STEC O103 in 2006, associated with contaminated dry-fermented sausages. The Norwegian Scientific Committee for Food Safety (Vitenskapskomitéen for mattrygghet), Panel on Biological Hazards, was asked by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority (Mattilsynet) for a risk assessment regarding shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in the Norwegian meat chain, with emphasis on dry-cured sausages. In response, an ad hoc Working Group of experts was appointed with the mandate to draft a risk assessment regarding this issue. The current report approaches the task by following and analysing the entire process, from the origin of the meats at farm level, to the final production and storage of dry-cured sausages. An overall aim of the report has been to identify and describe potential intervention options in various parts of this chain. The main conclusions from the risk assessment are as follows: It is not possible to give any reliable quantitative estimates of the current risk associated with consumption of dry-cured sausages. There are no clear indications of any general change in the epidemiology of STEC infections in humans in Norway over the last decade. There is no documentation that there has been any change in the occurrence of various STEC in the domestic animal reservoir during the last decade. The combination of proper slaughter hygiene and use of thermal decontamination of sheep, cattle and pig carcasses represents an efficient way to reduce STEC contamination. This approach would not only cause a reduction in the contamination level of STEC, but also provide a general beneficial effect on the level of other enteric pathogens, such as Salmonella and Yersinia enterocolitica. Proper use of starter cultures in fermentation, combined with higher fermentation temperatures, will reduce the probability of growth of STEC in contaminated drycured sausages. A combination of higher fermentation temperatures, a lower pH during the process, and heat-treatment of the final product should effectively eliminate the potential risk for transmission of STEC infections from consumption of dry-cured sausages. A 5 log reduction is possible. Technological options are available to reduce significantly the transfer of potential pathogens through meats in general, and specifically through dry-cured sausages. The most important data gap is the lack of information about the actual occurrence of STEC infections in humans in Norway. Improved laboratory diagnostic procedures and epidemiological surveillance, combined with better reporting and tracing in the health care system are necessary. The implementation of properly designed base-line studies of various domestic animals, to provide data on the occurrence of various serotypes and their virulence factors present is recommended. Also, this would provide a better basis for comparison with human isolates.

BACKGROUND Dry cured ham named Speck is a typical Italian product, with consolidated processing techniques and specific quality parameters. It has gained importance in the international market after obtaining the Protected Geographical Indication. Recent studies indicate that dietary plant extracts in pig may affect quality of processed meats but there are no data on their effect on Speck. Consequently, the effects of dietary supplementation with antioxidant mixture (AOX), containing vitamin E and polyphenols, in pigs on the nutritional characteristics, volatile compounds, sensory properties and consumers' preference of Speck were evaluated. RESULTS The Speck weight loss during seasoning was lower in the AOX group, while products quality parameters were not affected by dietary treatments. Alcohol and terpenes concentrations were lower (P

Impregnation modification of wood with melamine formaldehyde resin reduces the adverse effects caused by moisture uptake, but the underlying modes of action are not fully understood. The present study showed that it is crucial to understand the sorption behavior of the pure resin when interpreting the behavior of resin-modified wood. Furthermore, the applied heat-curing conditions had a significant effect on the moisture uptake of resin-modified wood. At the same resin loads, dry curing conditions were more effective in causing a cell wall bulking effect than wet curing conditions. This reduced the water-accessible cell wall pore volume in dry cured wood and counterbalanced the moisture uptake by the resin. Deuterium exchange measurements suggested that the occupancy of cell wall pores reduced the number of simultaneously active sorption sites. However, there was no evidence that a swelling restraint or reduced mechanical relaxation affected the water sorption of resin-modified wood significantly.

BACKGROUND Reduction of the salt (NaCl) content in typical Italian dry-cured ham is intended to reduce sodium dietary intake to meet World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for the prevention of serious diseases. This reduction is a complex issue because of the multiple roles that salt plays in the product. Hams that were processed to obtain a final product with target salt levels (hams with reduced salt concentration and controls) were analyzed using chemical parameters (salt, moisture, fat, and proteolysis indexes). Their sensory properties were described by a trained panel and 87 consumers evaluated the impact of salt reduction on their liking for the products. RESULTS The dry-cured hams under investigation are representative of Italian dry-cured hams, which are considered to be low and medium to high in terms of salt content. Consistent with the role of salt in proteolytic enzymes inhibition, there was an increase in the proteolysis index in fully matured dry-cured hams with reduced salt content. Salt level affected saltiness perception but also texture, color, and, to a lesser extent, flavor intensity in matured dry-cured hams. On average, reduced-salt dry-cured hams resulted in increased consumer liking. However, the resulting three consumer segments (37%, 27%, and 36% of the consumer cohort, respectively), differed in the acceptability ranking given to reduced-salt hams and controls. CONCLUSION The tested reduction in salt content, besides improving the nutritional profile of dry-cured ham, was effective in increasing consumers' acceptance. These results were useful for exploring the effect of reducing salt concentration on consumer liking for dry-cured hams. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

In this study, the influence of Na content in dry-cured beef by partial replacement with KCl, L-lysine, and L-histidine was investigated. Dry-cured beef aged over 57 days, compared to the control groups (100% NaCl), salt-substituted groups (SS, 39.7% of NaCl, 51.3% of KCl and a blend of 7% L-lysine and 2% L-histidine) had a significant impact on the taste thresholds, relative odor activity value (ROAV), electronic nose (E-nose), and sensory evaluation. This study revealed that the salt substitute process modified the sensory profile by intensifying the “aroma” and differentiating the control group from SS group. The results represented salt substitute analysis of dry-cured beef and may be used by food companies and other stakeholders to understand the changes in sensory characteristics of dry-cured beef due to 100% NaCl process. Salt substitute was developed successfully, presenting a good performance.

The aim of this paper was to determine the effect of production season on sensory attributes of artisanal smoked dry-cured ham and to elaborate findings by non-parametric testing and principal component analysis. Artisanal drycured hams (73 samples) were collected on open market during five consecutive production seasons from the year 2011 to 2015, and quantitative descriptive analysis was performed. The results showed that 10 out of 18 sensory attributes were significantly different (P

Sweet dipeptide Ala-Ala (AA) could be one of the most abundant dipeptides naturally generated in meat products due to the high occurrence of its sequence all along endogenous proteins, which means it could play a key role in dry-cured ham flavour development and bioactivity. In this study, a mass spectrometry in tandem methodology was optimised to quantitate the dipeptide AA in dry-cured ham manufactured under different processing conditions. Dipeptide values reached 230 µg/g after 12-month of ripening, but statistically insignificant differences were observed with salt reduction. Regarding its antihypertensive activity, an IC50 value of 110.824 µM was determined from the in vitro inhibition of angiotensin-I converting (ACE-I) enzyme, and the oral administration of 1 mg of AA per kg of body weight showed a significant reduction of the systolic blood pressure (SBP) in spontaneous hypertensive rats (SHR). This study elucidates the importance of AA dipeptide and its potential role in cardiovascular health after dry-cured ham consumption., Grant AGL2017-89381-R funded by MCIN/ AEI /https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 by “ERDF A way of making Europe” is acknowledged. Grant PRE2018-083367 (A.H.) funded by MCIN/AEI /https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 and “ESF Investing in your future” and grant RYC-2016–19635 (L.M.) funded by MCIN/AEI /https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 and “ESF Investing in your future” are also acknowledged. Arihara funding KAKENHI (21H02348) from Japan Society for the Promotion of Science is also acknowledged.

11 Pág. Departamento de Tecnología de Alimentos​​, Genomic diversity of Listeria monocytogenes isolates from the deboning and slicing areas of three dry-cured ham processing plants was analysed. L. monocytogenes was detected in 58 out of 491 samples from the environment and equipment surfaces, all from the deboning area, with differences in prevalence among facilities. The most frequent PCR-serogroup was IIa (74.1%) followed by IIb and IIc, and only one isolate was serogroup IVb. Twenty different pulsotypes and 11 sequence types (STs) grouped into 10 clonal complexes (CCs) were determined. ST121 (CC121) and ST9 (CC9) were the most abundant. Premature stop codons (PMSC6 and PMSC19) associated with attenuated virulence were found in the inlA sequence in 7 out of 12 selected strains. CC121 strains were strong biofilm formers and some harboured the transposon Tn6188, related with increased tolerance to quaternary ammonium compounds. L. monocytogenes clones considered hypovirulent resulted predominant in the deboning areas. The clonal structure and potential virulence of the isolates could help to establish adequate control measures and cleaning protocols for the comprehensive elimination of the pathogen in dry-cured ham processing environment., This work has received financial support from projects RTA2013-00070-C03-01 and RTA2017-00027-C03-01 (Spanish Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness). FPI/INIA Scholarship to A. Pérez-Baltar is also acknowledged

The aim of the present work was to sensorially characterize different commercial categories of Iberian dry-cured loins (varying genetic and feeding background) using a novel dynamic sensory technique, and to explore consumers preferences applying a rapid method. The samples (green label—GL, Cebo de Campo Ibérico, red label—RL, Bellota 50% Ibérico, and black label—BL, Bellota 100%) were analyzed by (i) Check-all-that-apply (CATA) with the evaluation of an ‘Ideal’ dry-cured loin and the overall liking, and by (ii) multiple-intake Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS). The CATA results indicated that the sensory characteristics of RL samples were closer to those of the ‘Ideal’ loin. Furthermore, juiciness, marbling, cured flavor, chewiness, persistence, and brightness were selected as ‘must-have’ attributes. Juiciness cured flavor and red color were considered as drivers of liking. TDS results showed that flavor attributes presented the highest dominance rates, with saltiness being the most dominant attribute along BL sample evaluation, and with cured and paprika flavor for GL and RL samples. These sensory technique results displayed the ability to sensorily characterize dry-cured loins, providing different, complementary, and valuable information.

The seasonality to which dry-cured products from Iberian breed pigs finished in Montanera (free-range rearing system with feed based exclusively on ad libitum consumption of natural resources, acorns and grass) are subjected could be overcome by pre-cure freezing. Three sets of Montanera Iberian presas (Serratus ventralis muscle) (n = 15) were established to assess the impact of frozen storage -0, or non-frozen, 3 and 6 months—previous to the technological process of curing—on the quality traits of the dry-cured product Montanera Iberian dry-cured lomito. Similar seasoning and curing processing conditions were applied to all sets. Lower productive performance due to higher weight loss during curing, and lower colour intensity were observed in pre-frozen dry-cured lomitos. The fatty acid profile was more saturated, and the oxidative status increased as a result of pre-cure freezing. On the matter of texture, all parameters were modified, highlighting the higher values of hardness and shear force of pre-frozen dry-cured lomitos. The time that raw material was frozen exerted a slight, thus helping manufacturers to better address the gap between industry and consumer demand with minimal effect on quality traits.

A systematic insight into the structure-function properties of small bioactive peptides is of great importance. Herein, peptidomics and computational methodology were adopted to investigate the stabilization patterns and building blocks of antioxidant peptides resulting from proteolysis during the ripening of Spanish dry-cured ham (9-24 months of processing). The results showed that native peptides underwent manufacture-induced steric/redox stress, while homogeneous/heterogeneous p-π/π-π interaction significantly improved the ABTS+ inhibition activity of hydrophobic peptides. However, for more hydrophilic peptides, the intrinsic π-interaction system (i.e., cation-π and π-π packing) substantially interfered with ABTS+/DPPH scavenging events when compared to the aromatic residues. Semi-quantitative peptidomics and molecular simulation/docking revealed that VFSSQGQSELILLQK and LCPSPDGLYL are two potential antioxidant peptides at the late ripening-drying. They had distinctive self-folding destinies following solvation owing to varying charged/hydrophobic properties of termini and hydrogen atom donor, allowing different flexibility of backbone and interactive surface towards free radicals ex situ followed by electron/proton transfer., Grant AGL2017-89381-R funded by MCIN/ AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and “ERDF A way of making Europe” and grant RYC-2016-19635 (L.M.) funded by MCIN/AEI /10.13039/501100011033 and “ESF Investing in your future” are also acknowledged. C.L. appreciated the financial support from China Scholarship Council (CSC), China through the State Scholarship Fund for Overseas Study (No. 201806760050).

The purpose of this study was to evaluate for the first time the effect of a rice bran extract based-active packaging with antioxidant and antimicrobial activity, high pressure processing (HPP) (600 MPa, 7 min), storage time (1, 90, and 180 days) and temperature (4 vs 20 °C) on the volatile compounds of sliced “Montanera” Iberian ham. The active packaging affected a quarter of the compounds, with a trend similar (although to a greater extent) to the one resulting from the HPP. The active packaging provided no clear advantages or serious drawbacks. The slight effect of the high pressure processing indicates that “Montanera” products might be more resistant to HPP-induced changes than other dry-cured hams. Regarding storage, despite the marked effect of time (30 out of 38 compounds), the temperature only influenced two compounds. This weak effect raises the possibility of storing and distributing this vacuum-packaged sliced product at room temperature.

Iberian pigs are a porcine breed, in which is very important to obtain a genetic line showing a larger prolificacy and performance of valuable parts, without affecting the meat quality. The main objective of this work was to estimate genetic and crossbreeding effects on quality parameters on dry-cured Iberian shoulders from the different genotypes of the Iberian pigs. For that, three Iberian pigs’ varieties (Entrepelado, Retinto and Torbiscal) and their reciprocal crosses were used. Thus, three genetic lines showed the best results: (i) the Retinto genetic line (R×R) showed the results with the highest mean values in MUFA (56.02%) and the lowest in salt content (3.12%), which could have a useful genetic basis for the improvement; (ii) the crossed genetic line between Torbiscal and Entrepelado (T×E) is characterized for a high value of myoglobin (9.05 mg/g) that it is related to some sensory attributes (flavor persistence − 5.82- and juiciness − 6.02-); (iii) the crossed genetic line between Retinto and Entrepelado (R×E) is characterized for a high content of lipids (8.32%), which is related to high scores on some sensory attributes (fat oiliness − 6.64-, juiciness − 6.24- and odour intensity − 6.86-). Therefore, these three genetic lines of Iberian pig based on terms of quality are adequate to produce meat and meat products from the Iberian pigs, outstanding R×R genetic line of Iberian pig.

The aim of this investigation was to lay the groundwork of the potential application of Pulsed Electric Fields (PEF) technology for accelerating the drying process of meat and meat products, and specifically in this work of Spanish dry-cured sausages “longaniza”. PEF treatments were applied to pork loin samples, and the influence of different PEF parameters on the process were evaluated. An optimal PEF treatment of 1 kV/cm, 200 μs of pulse width and 28 kJ/kg was determined as the most suitable to electroporate meat cells and to improve water transfer by achieving a water content reduction of 60.4% in treated-meat samples dried at 4 °C. The influence of PEF on meat drying rate was also studied on minced pork and the results showed that with a particle size of 4.0 mm higher drying rates were achieved. To validate the results, Spanish cured sausages were prepared from treated and untreated minced pork and stuffed into gauzes and natural pork casings at pilot plant scale. After the curing process, the application of PEF to sausages stuffed into gauze reduced the drying time from 17 to 9–10 days, a reduction of 41–47%, confirming the effects described at lab scale and the potential of PEF for accelerating the sausage-drying process.

The effect of taxifolin (TXF) with starter cultures (SC), such as Leuconostoc carnosum, or a mixture of strains Pediococcus pentosaceus and Staphylococcus xylosus, on the TXF stability was evaluated. UPLC analysis demonstrated that after 181 days of storage total TXF content was the highest in samples with TXF and L. carnosum (60%), compared to the 1st day of storage. The sausages with TXF and the mixture of P. pentosaceus and S. xylosus (56%) followed next. The samples treated only with TXF retained 40% of TXF, compared to the 1st day of storage. TXF had no significant effect on the growth of lactic acid bacteria. The accumulation of biogenic amines (BA), including histamine and putrescine, was more effectively reduced in sausages inoculated with the TXF plus P. pentosaceus and S. xylosus mixture. Using this mixture, the rate of lipolysis and processes of lipid oxidation were effectively slowed down. Fatty acid (FA) composition was stable in all cases.

The changes on chemical composition, physico‐chemical parameters, free fatty acids and free amino acids content of dry‐cured deer loin were investigated at day 0, 30 and 60 of dry‐cured process. On the whole, except for pH values (≈5.6) and composition (fat: 4.6–5.2%; protein: ≈73%; ash: ≈17.5%) that did not show differences between the processing days, the other physico‐chemical parameters were affected by curing process. Colour parameters and moisture (from 69 to 38.4%) decreased while the hardness increase from 12.35 to 342 N and lipid oxidation (from 0.2 to 0.52 mg MDA/kg) increased as dry‐cured stage progresses. In similar way, free fatty acid (2250 mg per 100 g of fat at 0 day and 5940 mg per 100 g of fat at 60 days) and free amino acid content (914 mg per 100 g DM at 0 day and 1253 mg per 100 g DM at 60 days) increased progressively as the curing process progressed. The behaviour of this product during processing is similar to that described for the same product made with other animal species. Therefore, deer meat is an excellent candidate for the production of dry‐cured loin, which would allow introducing a new product on the market.

The aim of this study was to characterize the chemical composition of flavor precursor for five kinds of Yunnan dry-cured hams (Xuanwei, Nuodeng, Sanchuan, Heqing, and Saba ham). The water-soluble low molecular weight (WLOM) compound profiles of the hams were characterized using proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-NMR), and the free fatty acid compositions were analyzed using gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). In total, 48 WLOM compounds were identified, including amino acids, amino acids derivatives, organic acids, nucleic acids, vitamins, sugars, alcohols and small peptides. In addition, 16 free fatty acid compounds were detected. Compared with the other four hams, the Sanchuan ham had the highest total WLOM compounds and free fatty acid contents (P

The aims of this work were to determine the physical characteristics (including color and texture profiles), compositions (including moisture, protein, fat, NaCl and pH) and volatile profiles of Chinese dry-cured hams (Mianning, Nuodeng, Saba and Sanchuan dry-cured hams) from different regions and explore the potential relationships in the above-mentioned parameters. Conventional physical and chemical analysis partially revealed differences among hams but were unable to discriminate them. Gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC–TOFMS) and electronic nose analysis provided an alternative. A total of 182 volatile compounds were detected by GC–TOFMS. With principal component analysis, the specific dominant volatiles were identified [ethanol, 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol, 1-octen-3-ol, 1-octanol, hexanal, heptanal (E)-2-octenal, benzeneacetaldehyde, 3-ethyl-benzaldehyde, butanoic acid]. Electronic nose discriminated the hams because of the higher responses to ethanol and aldehyde. The results not only provide methods to discriminate the ham with different flavor profiles, but also represented the detailed information of Chinese dry-cured hams.

Background: Dry-cured ham is one of the most valued food products by Mediterranean consumers. In this sense, the appropriate development of its different production stages is essential to ensure the quality requirements. For this reason, non-invasive technologies have gained popularity and have been reported as useful not only to ensure the food safety of different products, but also to monitor fundamental stages in the production process, such as the salting stage, to analyze the content of different compounds without sample losses, and to correct possible defects in the final product. Scope and approach: This work has been focused on summarizing the studies that describe and have successfully applied these techniques, as well as on mentioning other technologies with potential use in dry-cured ham manufacture which have not been studied enough. Finally, the potential next steps to improve and optimize the process, as well as the suitability of creating new products with added value based on the new quality standards, have also been evaluated. Key findings and conclusions: Innovative non-invasive technologies such as high pressure (HP), ultrasound (US), pulsed electric fields (PEF), microwaves, irradiation, etc. can be used as promising tools to effectively control salting and curing stages as well as for checking defects of the final product and/or ensuring food safety. HP and US are useful tools for the determination of salt and fat content, and for monitoring the salting process. Moreover, HP enhances salty taste perception, which makes it a useful tool to reduce salt addition. Both, HP and US, can correct texture defects. In addition, NIRS allows predicting the state of the meat to remove those pieces that could result in defective products. Moreover, RAMAN or MRI are able to detect anomalous textures at the end of the process. Microwaves could be useful for the online estimation of salt, water and fat contents easily with portable equipment. Finally, data mining, that allows to make predictions based on an immense data file, is the most promising discovery in recent years for detecting defects or classifying products according to sensory attributes., This research was supported by Grant RTA 2013-00030-CO3-03 from INIA (Spain). Acknowledgements to INIA for granting Cristina Pérez Santaescolástica with a predoctoral scholarship (grant number CPD2015-0212). José M. Lorenzo is member of the MARCARNE network, funded by CYTED (ref. 116RT0503).

The aim of this study was to study the effect of Lactobacillus plantarum NJAU-01 selected from the Jinhua ham as starter cultures on the quality of dry-cured fermented sausage. The physicochemical indexes including pH and water activity (Aw), color, texture and sensory properties of dry-cured fermented sausages with different concentrations of L. plantarum NJAU-01 (105 CFU/g, 107 CFU/g and 109 CFU/g) were evaluated during the ripening process. The pH of sausages in LP2 (107 CFU/g) and LP3 (109 CFU/g) groups significantly decreased to lower than 5.0 during ripening. The Aw of all group of sausages dropped to below 0.90 from the third week to the end of ripening. In addition, the color of dry-cured fermented sausages of all groups was significantly affected by ripening time (P 0.05). The results show that L. plantarum NJAU-01 has potential to be a starter culture for the production of dry-cured fermented sausages.

In this study, a specific sensory panel was created and qualified for sensory assessment of Spanish dry-cured ham. A strict control was carried out in order to recruit, select, train and qualify the assessors. At the beginning, 29 candidates to assessors were considered and at the end only 9 candidates satisfied the conditions required to be qualified as expert assessors of the sensory panel. Furthermore, the precision and trueness of each expert assessor were determined by the repeatability index (Ria), and intermediate precision index (IPia), and the deviation index (Dia). In the same way, the panel precision was also evaluated by a proper repeatability index (Rip) and an intermediate precision (IPip) index. The provided results were satisfactory and the sensory panel was correctly validated. Currently, the sensory panel continues performing sensory analysis of dry-cured ham.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to study the structural changes during dry-cured ham manufacturing. T1, T2 and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) were determined. Dry cured hams were analysed at different steps of the manufacturing process (raw, salted, post salted, half-cured and cured). Structural changes were linked with the rheological behaviour, estimated by texture profile analysis (TPA) performed in three different muscles of hams (semimembranosus, semitendinosus and biceps femoris). A decrease for T1, T2 and ADC parameters during the curing process was observed, connected to the dehydration kinetics and salt diffusion. Curing process increased hardness and chewiness and reduced elasticity and cohesiveness. Mathematical models were defined to obtain useful equations to monitor ripening. Multiple and simple linear regression models were performed to predict water and salt content and rheological features evolution through MRI parameters. Best settings were achieved with water and salt content for the three studied muscles (R2 around 0.90). T1, T2 and ADC showed a negative correlation with hardness and a positive relation with springiness and cohesiveness.

In this study, the influence of Na content of dry-cured beef by partial replacement with KCl, L-lysine, and L-histidine was investigated during processing. Dry-cured beef aged over 57 days, compared to control groups (100% NaCl), salt substituted groups (SS, 39.7% of NaCl, 51.3% of KCl and a blend of 7% L-lysine and 2% L-histidine); had a significant impact on the proteolysis index and total free amino acids, lower activities, and gene levels of cathepsin B and L, as well as reduced contents of protein carbonyls and thiol group. The present study provides a successful strategy for improvement of the perceived saltiness and inhibition of the bitterness, while exhibiting no significant negative effects on color or textural properties.

This study was conducted to compare the physicochemical traits of dry-cured hams made from two different pig breeds: Berkshire and Landrace × Yorkshire × Duroc (LYD). Pigs were slaughtered at a live weight of approximately 110 kg and cooled at 0°C for 24 h in a chilling room. Then, the ham portion of the carcasses were cut and processed by dry-curing for physicochemical analyses. The dry-cured hams from Berkshire contain higher crude protein, fat, and ash level than those from LYD, whereas the hams from LYD had higher moisture contents than those from Berkshire(p < 0.05). The pH values of the hams from Berkshire were lower than those from LYD (p < 0.05). The hams from Berkshire had lower L* and b* values than those from LYD (p < 0.05). Palmitoleic acid (C16:1), oleic acid (C18:1), elaidic acid (C18:1t), monounsaturated fatty acids, and ratio of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids (n-6/n-3) in the ham from Berkshire were higher than LYD (p < 0.05). Free amino acids such as aspartic acid, threonine, serine, asparagine, glutamic acid, and lysine in hams from Berkshire were higher than those from LYD (p < 0.05). The microbial population had no significant difference between Berkshire and LYD dry-cured ham. The cross sections of dry cured ham showed difference from different breeds using scanning electron microscope and indicates some differences in texture. Considering the meat quality parameters of ham, hams from Berkshire could provide variety of ham for consumer who are seeking various different qualities and stories.

The high sodium diet is harmful to the human body. In this study, beef was cured with some salt substitutes, namely SS, 39.7% NaCl, 51.3% KCl, 7% L-lysine and 2% L-histidine, in order to reduce the Na content for the final products, and salt substitute effects the physicochemical, lipolytic, and flavor characteristics of dry-cured beef by determining free fatty acids, lipase activity, volatile compounds, and water mobility. The results showed that the lipase activity and unsaturated fatty acids were significantly increased due to the present of L-lysine and L-histidine. In addition, the SS could also enhance the lipoxygenase activity and promoted the lipid oxidation and influenced volatile compounds. The changes of T21 and T22 showed that the water mobility in SS was higher (P < .05) than in the control group. Moreover, the cadaverine, histamine, and tyramine were detected in 57-day dry-cured beef, being below their toxic limits. The present study demonstrated that salt substitute by L-lysine and L-histidine alter the water distribution and mobility, improved the amounts and types of volatile compounds, while had no influence in the quality of product.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) represent an important contaminant group in a variety of food products. Since PAHs are commonly present in meat products, this study aimed to determine PAH content in four types of Croatian dry-cured hams (Dalmatian, Drniš, Krk and Istrian) produced by four different processing methods. Determination and quantification of PAHs were performed by High performance liquid chromatography with fluorescence detection (HPLC-FLD). Out of 15 investigated PAHs, 13 compounds were detected. The total average benzo(a)pyrene (BaP) and PAH4 levels obtained from dry-cured hams ranged from 0.05-0.10 µg/kg and 0.41-0.67 µg/kg, respectively. Even though Krk and Istrian dry-cured ham manufacturing processes do not include the smoking phase, no significant differences were found between investigated dry-cured hams in terms of BaP, PAH4, PAH8 and PAH 15 contents. The presence of detected PAHs in non-smoked dry-cured hams could be a result of the addition of spices in the salting phase. BaP and PAH4 contents found in dry-cured ham samples did not exceed the currently legal levels according to the European legislation.

The biology and physiology of Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank) (Sarcoptiformes: Acaridae), also known as the ham, cheese or mold mite, is reviewed along with methods that have been evaluated for managing and controlling this pest. This review was conducted because the ham mite is an important target pest of the dry cured ham industry. Methyl bromide has been historically used to control mite infestations, but is now banned or being phased out of use in most countries because it is an ozone-depleting substance. Only commercially available stockpiles and quarantine and pre-shipment methyl bromide are available for use in countries that require such action. This review compares the effectiveness and feasibility of recently investigated methods to control mite infestations on dry cured ham and to discuss integrated pest management plans for ham mites. The review also proposes methods for conducting a prevention and monitoring-based integrated pest management program that relies on definitive mitigation such as fumigation only when mite numbers exceed a critical action threshold.

The effect of chestnut flour (Castanea sativa Mill) on L. plantarum viability and physicochemical characteristics in a dry-cured sausage (Longaniza de Pascua) during storage is discussed. Four batches were prepared: CL with 3% chestnut flour added; CPL with 3% chestnut flour and 8.5 log CFU/g L. plantarum added; PL with 8.5 log CFU/g L. plantarum added and L, the batch control. The sausages were stored at 4 °C and 20 °C, and vacuum packed for 43 d. L. plantarum viability was affected by storage time (P

Dry-cured Iberian ham is officially classified into different commercial categories according to the pig’s breed and feeding regime. These reach very different prices, thus promoting labelling fraud and causing great damage to the food sector. In this work, a method based on Raman spectroscopy was explored as a rapid in situ screening tool for Iberian ham samples. A total of 110 samples were analyzed to assess the potential of this technique to differentiate purebred, crossbred, acorn-fed and feed-fed dry-cured Iberian ham. A continuous signal probably due to sample fluorescence was obtained, which hid the Raman scattering signal. Therefore, chemometric treatment was applied in order to extract non-apparent information. High validated classification rates were obtained for feeding regime (83.3%) and breed (86.7%). In addition, an interlaboratory study was carried out to confirm the applicability of the method with 52 samples, obtaining a validated rate above 80%.

The spoiled dry-cured ham commonly shows unpleasant taste and odour. To deepen the understanding in the formation mechanism of unpleasant taste in spoiled ham, sensory attributes, texture parameters, protein degradation, metabolites were investigated between normal and spoiled hams; the relationship between the sensory quality and metabolites of dry-cured ham was further evaluated by partial least square discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). The scores of richness and overall acceptance were significantly lower in spoiled ham, and more than 12.5-fold values in adhesiveness were found in spoiled ham than normal ham. Myofibrillar proteins including actin, troponin-T and myosin light chain showed excessive degradation in spoiled ham. Forty-two kinds of metabolites mainly derived from protein degradation were identified by LC-MS/MS, and amino acid derivatives and oligopeptides were the key components to distinguish spoiled and normal hams demonstrated by PLS-DA. Purine metabolism, pyrimidine metabolism and protein degradation were the main metabolism pathways in spoiled ham.

In this study, the effects of potassium lactate (PL, Potassium-L-2-hydroxy-propionate, Potassium-L-Lactate) usage (0%, 0.5%, 1.0%, 2.0% PL of curing mixture) in addition to NaCl and sodium nitrite as curing agent on the physico-chemical, microbiological and sensory properties of ready-to-eat pastirma were investigated. The usage of PL affected pastirma properties as pH (P < 0.01), TBARS (P < 0.01), salt (P < 0.01), residual nitrite content (P < 0.01), a* value (P < 0.01), microbial properties (P < 0.01) (total aerobic mesophylic bacteria, lactic acid bacteria, Micrococcus/Staphylococcus, yeast-mould count) and amino acid levels [lysine (P < 0.01), isoleucine (P < 0.01), leucine (P < 0.01), methionine (P < 0.05), phenylalanine (P < 0.01), valine (P < 0.05), threonine (P < 0.01), tryptophan (P < 0.05), aspartic acid (P < 0.05), glutamic acid (P < 0.05), asparagine (P < 0.05), serine (P < 0.01), histidine (P < 0.01), glycine (P < 0.01), alanine (P < 0.01), proline (P < 0.01), cystine (P < 0.05) and norvaline (P < 0.01)]. According to results of sensory analysis, the difference among pastirma samples including PL was not significant (P > 0.05)., Ataturk University Research Center [2012/260]; TUBITAK [2211-E], This study was supported by the Ataturk University Research Center as financial (BAP Project Number: 2012/260). Thus, authors would like to thank the Ataturk University in making this study possible and TUBITAK (2211-E) for giving scholarship to Ebru ERDEMIR.