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Food sustainability through traditional food production and the reuse of food by-products is one of the characteristics most valued by consumers. The production of Iberian ham is linked to the vaporization and sustainability of the dehesa and the conservation and maintenance of the rural environment, but there are some by-products that are not destined for direct consumption. In this context, previous studies have used trimmed fat to obtain a bioactive essence rich in antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that the consumer's decision is influenced by the nutritional/health and sensory characteristics of the product and its shelf life. The objective of the present study was to evaluate consumer acceptance and/or preference of different essences obtained from the trimmed fat of sliced Iberian ham and to determine the microbiological and physicochemical stability of the selected sustainable essence over time. The results showed that this essence is generally accepted by consumers and is microbiologically stable over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following an application from Cárnicas Joselito S.A. pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of Spain, the Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to 'Joselito ham increases antioxidant substances in the body, reduces blood pressure and plasma triglycerides, decreases oxidative stress and prevents effect in diseases related to the cardiovascular and intestinal systems'. The scope of the application was proposed to fall under a health claim referring to disease risk reduction. The food constituent that is the subject of the health claim is Joselito, an Iberian ham characterised by a high content of oleic acid. The Panel considers that the food is sufficiently characterised. The Panel considers that lowering of LDL‐cholesterol concentration and blood pressure is a beneficial effect by decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease. Upon a request from EFSA, the applicant identified one human intervention study as being pertinent to the claim. However, due to methodological limitations, the Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from this study for the scientific substantiation of the claim. The Panel notes that no human intervention studies from which conclusions could be drawn for the scientific substantiation of the claim were provided by the applicant. The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the intake of Joselito® ham and the reduction of LDL‐cholesterol concentration or blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food sustainability through traditional food production and the reuse of food by-products is one of the characteristics most valued by consumers. The production of Iberian ham is linked to the vaporization and sustainability of the dehesa and the conservation and maintenance of the rural environment, but there are some by-products that are not destined for direct consumption. In this context, previous studies have used trimmed fat to obtain a bioactive essence rich in antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids. Furthermore, it is important to keep in mind that the consumer’s decision is influenced by the nutritional/health and sensory characteristics of the product and its shelf life. The objective of the present study was to evaluate consumer acceptance and/or preference of different essences obtained from the trimmed fat of sliced Iberian ham and to determine the microbiological and physicochemical stability of the selected sustainable essence over time. The results showed that this essence is generally accepted by consumers and is microbiologically stable over time.

Abstract Following an application from Cárnicas Joselito S.A. pursuant to Article 14 of Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006 via the Competent Authority of Spain, the Panel on Nutrition, Novel Foods and Food Allergens (NDA) was asked to deliver an opinion on the scientific substantiation of a health claim related to ‘Joselito ham increases antioxidant substances in the body, reduces blood pressure and plasma triglycerides, decreases oxidative stress and prevents effect in diseases related to the cardiovascular and intestinal systems’. The scope of the application was proposed to fall under a health claim referring to disease risk reduction. The food constituent that is the subject of the health claim is Joselito, an Iberian ham characterised by a high content of oleic acid. The Panel considers that the food is sufficiently characterised. The Panel considers that lowering of LDL‐cholesterol concentration and blood pressure is a beneficial effect by decreasing the risk of coronary heart disease. Upon a request from EFSA, the applicant identified one human intervention study as being pertinent to the claim. However, due to methodological limitations, the Panel considers that no conclusions can be drawn from this study for the scientific substantiation of the claim. The Panel notes that no human intervention studies from which conclusions could be drawn for the scientific substantiation of the claim were provided by the applicant. The Panel concludes that a cause and effect relationship has not been established between the intake of Joselito® ham and the reduction of LDL‐cholesterol concentration or blood pressure.

The number of representative samples to build a calibration model plays a major role in the success of chemometric models for class discrimination; therefore, knowing which samples should be used for the calibration of prediction models is essential. The aim of this work is to design a basic guideline for the training of partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) models to classify complex samples analysed by Gas Chromatography (GC) coupled to Ion Mobility Spectrometry (IMS) using dry-cured Iberian ham as an example. The effect of the number, proportion and class of samples for training and validation and the use of two data types (spectral fingerprint or pre-selected markers) has been assessed by analysing with GC-IMS nearly 1000 dry-cured Iberian ham samples obtained from 7 different curing plants. Subsequently, these were classified with PLS-DA according to the pig's feeding regime (acorn-fed vs. feed-fed) and it has been demonstrated that 450 out of 997 samples are enough for model training to achieve a maximum average prediction accuracy rate. Furthermore, the use of pre-selected GC-IMS markers provides slightly better prediction results than the use of the complete spectral fingerprint. In summary, these results represent a tentative guide for the classification of samples in an industrial setting using GC-IMS and PLS-DA. This methodology would allow authorities and producers to ensure the quality of the agri-food products put on the market as is proven in this study.

Ham (Jamón) is a product of great value in Spanish gastronomy, although experts have recommended reducing its consumption due to its high salt content and its relationship with cardio-vascular diseases due to the increase in blood pressure it may cause. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate how the reduction of salt content and the pig genetic line influence bioactivity in boneless hams. For this purpose, 54 hams were studied, 18 boneless Iberian hams (RIB), 18 boneless white hams from commercial cross-bred pigs (RWC), and 18 salted and traditionally processed Iberian hams (TIB) to check if the pig genetic line (RIB vs. RWC) or the processing (RIB vs. TIB) affect the peptide production and bioactivity of the hams. The pig genetic line significantly affected the activity of ACE-I and DPPH, with RWC having the highest ACE-I activity and RIB having the highest antioxidative activity. This coincides with the results obtained in the identification of the peptides and the bioactivity analysis performed. Salt reduction positively affected the different hams, influencing their proteolysis and increasing their bioactivity in traditionally cured hams. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iberian ham is a food product of great quality endorsed by Protected Denominations of Origin, which is beginning to be marketed as a tourist product, and visits to pastures, ham dryers, etc., are becoming tourist attractions in the rural areas of Andalusia. In this research, a factor analysis with VARIMAX rotation is carried out to determine the factors that influence the development of ham tourism. Five components are determined, of which the supply factor is one of the most important. Pull factors are highlighted as the local gastronomy and heritage, among others, and push factors include visiting dryers, pastures, and ham museums. Based on these results and the descriptive analysis of the profile of the ham tourist, it is found that the ham tourist is very satisfied with the visit made, and that the tourist would repeat the experience. However, it is observed that it is necessary to create routes combined with other better known gastronomic products, such as wine, and carry out marketing campaigns to publicize this tourist product in the national and international market, because at present it is local tourists who perform this type of tourism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of agricultural post-productivity, rural spaces acquire new functions or reinforce the existing ones. Thus, the production of quality food, as a part of agroindustry, and tourism appear as common activities in rural development strategies. Special attention is drawn to gastronomic tourism and the creation of routes as a creative expression of the integration and structuring of the territories. The Iberian ham is a unique product, known worldwide, produced exclusively in the SW quadrant of the Iberian Peninsula. It is linked to a unique agro-system of the anthropised Mediterranean forest, also known as dehesa4, and comparably limited Iberian pig livestock, which has given rise to traditional culture and industry constituted in Local Productive System in many municipalities, supported by Protected Designation of Origin. The central objective of the research is to analyse existing tourist attraction related to the Iberian ham, its potential and the routes and products that have arisen around it. Having placed the territorial recognition as the starting point, the analysis of the resources and locations of the activities related to the Iberian ham was carried out based on scientific literature and the use of different databases. Secondly, the analysis of the potential tourism activities in the Sierra de Huelva region was implemented based on primary sources, namely surveys and interviews with intervening actors. The following results are obtained: a) the tourist potential of the Iberian pig world; b) complementarity with other tourist activities; c) difficulties in structuring existing attractions; d) multiplication of disconnected and sometimes coincident tourism initiatives; e) scarce participation of private actors in the initiatives launched.

Ham (Jamón) is a product of great value in Spanish gastronomy, although experts have recommended reducing its consumption due to its high salt content and its relationship with cardio-vascular diseases due to the increase in blood pressure it may cause. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate how the reduction of salt content and the pig genetic line influence bioactivity in boneless hams. For this purpose, 54 hams were studied, 18 boneless Iberian hams (RIB), 18 boneless white hams from commercial cross-bred pigs (RWC), and 18 salted and traditionally processed Iberian hams (TIB) to check if the pig genetic line (RIB vs. RWC) or the processing (RIB vs. TIB) affect the peptide production and bioactivity of the hams. The pig genetic line significantly affected the activity of ACE-I and DPPH, with RWC having the highest ACE-I activity and RIB having the highest antioxidative activity. This coincides with the results obtained in the identification of the peptides and the bioactivity analysis performed. Salt reduction positively affected the different hams, influencing their proteolysis and increasing their bioactivity in traditionally cured hams.

Objective: The main goal of this paper consists in analyzing the potential of mixed methods used in the study of two agrifood systems: Iberian ham (Spain) and chorizo from the Toluca Valley (Mexico). Research limitations: Opposing cultural contexts that allowed different strategies to be used which sought not only to collect information from the diverse actors in each system but also face the methodological challenges that currently prevail. These challenges are linked to the diversity of the actors themselves and to the use of new technologies for data collection. Methodological design: To solve these methodological shortcomings, mixed methods have been implemented with the support of technological innovations. Results: Results allow us to verify that the employment of mixed methods is an excellent means for leveraging resources effectively and efficiently. In Spain, employing a self-administered survey enabled rural manufacturers to control the timing of their response. Regarding consumer results, these prove that collecting data via smartphone is highly recommended. In the case of Mexico, starting the research quatitatively allowed the building of trust, a factor which is critical given the levels of violence in Mexican society that generate mistrust and, ultimately, lead to a refusal to participate in academic research. Findings: The main contribution of this article is that, based on real and complex cases, it provides evidence of the potential and strategies to be followed for analyzing agrifood systems in a cross-cultural research. Mixed methods emerge as an excellent means for collecting data in global dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iberian ham is a food product of great quality endorsed by Protected Denominations of Origin, which is beginning to be marketed as a tourist product, and visits to pastures, ham dryers, etc., are becoming tourist attractions in the rural areas of Andalusia. In this research, a factor analysis with VARIMAX rotation is carried out to determine the factors that influence the development of ham tourism. Five components are determined, of which the supply factor is one of the most important. Pull factors are highlighted as the local gastronomy and heritage, among others, and push factors include visiting dryers, pastures, and ham museums. Based on these results and the descriptive analysis of the profile of the ham tourist, it is found that the ham tourist is very satisfied with the visit made, and that the tourist would repeat the experience. However, it is observed that it is necessary to create routes combined with other better known gastronomic products, such as wine, and carry out marketing campaigns to publicize this tourist product in the national and international market, because at present it is local tourists who perform this type of tourism.

This communication assesses the use of a portable near infrared (NIR) instrument to measure quantitative (fatty acid profile) properties and qualitative (‘Premium’ and ‘Non-premium’) categories of individual Iberian pork carcasses at the slaughterhouse. Acorn-fed Iberian pigs have more unsaturated fats than pigs fed conventional compound feed. Recent advances in miniaturisation have led to a number of handheld NIR devices being developed, allowing processing decisions to be made earlier, significantly reducing time and costs. The most common methods used for assessing quality and authenticity of Iberian hams are analysis of the fatty acid composition of subcutaneous fat using gas chromatography and DNA analysis. In this study, NIR calibrations for fatty acids and classification as premium or non-premium ham, based on carcass fat measured in situ, were developed using a portable NIR spectrometer. The accuracy of the quantitative equations was evaluated through the standard error of cross validation or standard error of prediction of 0.84 for palmitic acid (C16:0), 0.94 for stearic acid (C18:0), 1.47 for oleic acid (C18:1) and 0.58 for linoleic acid (C18:2). Qualitative calibrations provided acceptable results, with up to 98% of samples (n = 234) correctly classified with probabilities ⩾0.9. Results indicated a portable NIR instrument has the potential to be used to measure quality and authenticity of Iberian pork carcasses.

The Sierra de Huelva is a depopulated and an ageing region where traditional activities particularly Iberian Pig breeding in the dehesa and the associated industries dominate. Accordingly, these processes have contributed to the formation and the embedness of the so-called Local Production Systems in these territories. Since the end of the 20th century, both internal and external dynamics have contributed to the significant changes in the industry which have accordingly affected productivity, organisation of the processes, distribution and marketing activities as well as product quality itself. Based on the information available in official and private databases from 2002 until 2020, the in-depth comparative analysis was carried out to identify these transformations in the industry as well as to outline their causes and the consequences. As the main results suggest, once the product specialisation is established in terms of product standartisation and quality, the processes of (1) the territorial and business concentration and (2) the polarisation of the sector between large foreign companies and small traditional local enterprises have become evident. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iberian ham is one of the most representative Spanish products and presents an excellent nutritional and sensory quality. Iberian ham trimming fat is considered a by-product and to give a new use to this remaining part could represent a healthy and innovative option for obtaining sustainable foods. The purpose of this work was to obtain a new bioactive ingredient from Iberian ham trimming fat with the highest amount of antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), using a new non-invasive solvent-free method. To obtain the essence, two different extraction procedures were carried out. After fatty acid characterization, degree of acidity, peroxide index and a basic sensory analysis were performed. Antioxidant in vitro activity and total phenolic compounds (TPC) were also determined. This new ingredient showed a better sensory profile than raw ham fat, a lower degree of acidity, a higher content of MUFAs, and also showed a higher antioxidant capacity and an increase in phenolic compounds compared to the raw material. This bioactive essence could be used as a food, a cosmetic or a nutraceutical ingredient to prevent certain diseases related to oxidative stress and could also contribute to the maintenance of the circular economy.

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%.

This communication assesses the use of a portable near infrared (NIR) instrument to measure quantitative (fatty acid profile) properties and qualitative ('Premium' and 'Non-premium') categories of individual Iberian pork carcasses at the slaughterhouse. Acorn-fed Iberian pigs have more unsaturated fats than pigs fed conventional compound feed. Recent advances in miniaturisation have led to a number of handheld NIR devices being developed, allowing processing decisions to be made earlier, significantly reducing time and costs. The most common methods used for assessing quality and authenticity of Iberian hams are analysis of the fatty acid composition of subcutaneous fat using gas chromatography and DNA analysis. In this study, NIR calibrations for fatty acids and classification as premium or non-premium ham, based on carcass fat measured in situ , were developed using a portable NIR spectrometer. The accuracy of the quantitative equations was evaluated through the standard error of cross validation or standard error of prediction of 0.84 for palmitic acid (C16:0), 0.94 for stearic acid (C18:0), 1.47 for oleic acid (C18:1) and 0.58 for linoleic acid (C18:2). Qualitative calibrations provided acceptable results, with up to 98% of samples (n = 234) correctly classified with probabilities ⩾0.9. Results indicated a portable NIR instrument has the potential to be used to measure quality and authenticity of Iberian pork carcasses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The effect of high pressure processing (HPP) on the microbiota of ripened Iberian ham of different water activity, salt concentration and intramuscular fat content was investigated before and after a 5-month refrigeration period. At the beginning of the refrigeration period, the only significant effects of chemical composition were those of water activity on psychrotrophs and Micrococcaceae in untreated hams, and of the salt-in-lean ratio on lactic acid bacteria in HPP-treated hams. At the end of the refrigeration period, the only significant effect was that of intramuscular fat content on moulds and yeasts in HPP-treated samples. All microbial groups were significantly affected by HPP, with reductions ranging from 1.7 to 2.0 log cycles after treatment. A significant recovery of all microbial groups took place in HPP-treated hams during the refrigeration period, with increases ranging from 0.5 to 1.1 log cycles. In spite of this recovery, microbial levels in HPP-treated hams remained significantly lower than in untreated hams. Staphylococcus accounted for 93.4% of Iberian ham bacterial isolates, with S. equorum as the most abundant species. Representatives of the Tetragenococcus , Carnobacterium and Streptomyces genera, not previously reported in dry-cured ham, were also isolated. Most of the yeast isolates (75.0%) were identified as Debaryomyces hansenii. Highlights • Chemical composition of Iberian ham only moderately affected its microbiota. • After HPP treatment, reductions ranging from 1.7 to 2.0 log cycles were obtained. • During refrigerated storage, microbial recovery occurred in HPP-treated samples. • Tetragenococcus , Carnobacterium and Streptomyces are for the first time reported in dry-cured ham. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Abstract This paper explores the multifractal features of different commercial designations of Iberian ham (acorn 100% Iberian ham, acorn Iberian ham, feed/pasture Iberian ham and feed Iberian ham). This study has been done by taking as input the fatty infiltration patterns obtained from digital image analysis of ham cuts comparing mechanic and manual slicing. The yielded results show the multifractal nature of fatty connective tissue in Iberian ham, only when knife cutting is applied, confirming the differences between the designations according to their genetics and feeding. Thus, the multifractal parameters presented in this work could be considered as additional information for checking Iberian ham quality by using non-destructive methods based on the combination of image analysis and predictive techniques. Meat industry can take advantage of these methods to evaluate meat products, especially when fat-connective tissue with complex pattern distribution is involved. Highlights • Fat infiltration in Iberian ham exhibits multifractal nature. • A set of multifractal dimensions describe fat tissue distribution in ham cut by knife. • Multifractal dimensions could be used as features in ham quality prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iberian ham is one of the flagships of Spanish gastronomy, deeply rooted in Spanish culture. However, its interest as a tourism resource is still scarce, so tourist routes around it have been developed. This study analyses ham tourist satisfaction within these routes using the PLS-SEM path modelling method on data obtained from a own questionnaire. The results provide insightful results about what influences ham tourist satisfaction – socioeconomic characteristics, their bond with Iberian ham, the general tourism and leisure offers, and the relation between both offers – highlighting where stakeholders should pay attention to improve the tourists' experience. • Iberan ham is a reputable Spanish dish. • Iberian ham as tourist resource is underdeveloped. • Socioeconomic characteristics and tourists' bonds with the product are crucial. • Tourism offer comes before leisure offer regarding Iberian ham tours. • There is room for large improvement in these tourist experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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: “Jamón de Bellota”, “Jamón de Cebo de Campo”, and “Jamón de Cebo”. The application of artificial neural networks provided satisfactory classification and prediction rates, with oleic acid being the most important variable driving this differentiation.

Iberian dry-cured ham is an important meat product with high consumption worldwide. The special ecological conditions occurring throughout its ripening favour surface colonisation of filamentous fungi. Normally, moulds contribute to the development of the sensory qualities of the ham; however, some toxigenic species, such as Penicillium nordicum , are able to successfully adapt to the NaCl-rich environment found in dry-cured ham and produce ochratoxin A (OTA) in this product. Moreover, it was suggested that the biosynthesis of OTA by P. nordicum itself may support the adaptation to this food environment. However, this mechanism has not been completely elucidated yet. The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of different concentrations of commercial OTA (cOTA, at 0, 0.2, 1 and 5 ppb) on growth rate, biosynthetic- and stress-related gene expression and OTA production by two P. nordicum strains (Pn15 and Pn69) on dry-cured ham based-media. Two NaCl conditions (0% and 10%) were evaluated for each cOTA level. In general, no intra-strain and inter-strain differences in growth rates were found among the conditions tested. The stress-related Hog1 gene expression of the strain Pn15 was affected by cOTA and NaCl concentration whilst the strain Pn69 was not affected by these variables. The expression of OTA-related otapks and otanps genes of the strain Pn15 was affected by several NaCl and cOTA combinations. However, the strain Pn69 showed no differences in relative gene expression. Regarding to OTA production, different behaviours were displayed by the two strains. The strain Pn15, which produced high OTA amounts by itself, produced OTA without the necessity of the presence of NaCl or cOTA as stressors. However, the presence of cOTA triggers OTA production by the weak OTA producing Pn69 in the absence of NaCl. In addition, although a moderate correlation was found between the expression of the OTA-related genes and mycotoxin produced by P. nordicum in the absence of NaCl, none was obtained between Hog1 gene expression and mycotoxin production. This study is a step forward for a better understanding of the ability of P. nordicum producers of OTA to colonise NaCl-rich habitats such as Iberian ham for proposing actions to minimise OTA contamination in this meat product. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital images of food for later analysis tend to be heterogeneous in terms of color and luminosity. Improving these images by using filters is necessary and crucial before further processing. This paper compares the non-use of filters and the use of high-pass filters in the images of hand-cut Iberian ham that will be used in a multifractal analysis for the study of fat and its infiltration. The yielded results show that with the use of a high-pass filter, more accurate fractal dimensions were obtained, which can be featured in predictive techniques of Iberian ham quality.

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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.

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 (

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cured Iberian ham is a worldwide known product due to its high quality. Nowadays, there is a lack of official analytical methods to differentiate geographical origin (Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)), the curing plant where hams are processed, as well as the commercial categories in each industry. In this work, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) extracted from 998 Iberian hams were analyzed by Gas Chromatography coupled to Ion Mobility Spectrometry (GC-IMS), using the subsequent information to design discriminant models. High classification percentages were obtained for the three objectives of the study: 98,5% for geographical origin, 93,5% and 100% for curing plant discrimination, and an average rate of 84,5% for commercial category discrimination in the seven curing plants subject to study. Differences obtained in discriminant models are probably due to the complexity of Iberian ham manufacturing process. In this sense, the results obtained in the present study suggest slight differences between geographical areas and industries evaluated, even covered by the same PDO. Also, those differences may be related to the existing variability in terms of breed purity and feeding regime of Iberian pigs, which are two of the main determining factors of ham aroma. • A volatilome analysis of fat samples provides useful information about Iberian ham. • A success of 98,5% was achieved for Protected Designation of Origin discrimination. • The curing plant of origin was predicted with a success of 100% and 93,5%. • An 84,5% average differentiation at plant level was achieved for commercial category. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iberian dry-cured ham is considered a product of excellence in Spain and also highly valued by consumers overseas. Its processing conditions include a minimum time of ripening of 24 months which results on a very intense proteolysis of muscular proteins due to the action of endogenous enzymes and the generation of numerous peptides and free amino acids responsible for its characteristic flavour properties. Previous studies in Spanish dry-cured ham of 10 months of ripening identified the amino acid sequences of many of the peptides generated during the proteolysis as well as described their potential as bioactive peptides. However, differences in genetics and processing conditions such as the time of ripening, could result on differences in the action of endogenous enzymes and the generated peptides. In this study, differences in the generated peptides between Iberian dry-cured (24 months of ripening) and traditional Spanish dry-cured ham (14 months of ripening) have been detected. Iberian dry-cured ham extract was separated using size-exclusion chromatography and the ACE-inhibitory activity of the obtained fractions was evaluated in vitro showing up to 97.7% of inhibition in some of the fractions. The antihypertensive effect of the Iberian ham extract was also assayed in vivo using spontaneously hypertensive rats. A significant decrease of 12 mm Hg in SBP after 8 h of ingestion ( p < 0.05) that returned to values similar to the control after 24 h of the treatment was observed. The analysis by mass spectrometry in tandem of the peptide extract revealed a total of 2632 peptides which contained the ACE inhibitory Pro–Pro–Lys, Pro–Ala–Pro, and Ala–Ala–Pro repeated in their sequences a total of 322, 302 and 119 times, respectively. This study reveals Iberian dry-cured ham as a source for natural antihypertensive peptides with very high potential in comparison with Spanish dry-cured ham, probably due to the differences in genetics and time of ripening which influence proteolysis and thus the generation of peptides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]