EFFECT OF QUALITY ATTRIBUTES UPON PROCESSING AND PALATABILITY CHARACTERISTICS OF COMMERCIALLY CURED HAMS
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SUMMARY A total of 488 fresh hams were stratified according to method of cure (regularcured and wateradded) and quality scores (gross morphology, color and firmness). Each ham was pumped, cured and smoked using commercial procedures. Individual weights for each ham were obtained at each stage of the processing sequence. Center slices from 50 processed hams were evaluated for muscle color, chemical composition and organoleptic properties. Among both regularcured and wateradded hams, gross morphology groups were not significantly (P < 0.05) related to weight gains (fresh to chilled), weight losses during the period in transit (125 km), or to flavor, saltiness, moisture (%) or pigment concentration for the combined muscles of the center slices. A comparison of individual ham muscles revealed that the biceps femoris (BF) was less tender than the semitendinosus (ST); the ST was less salty than the semimembranosus (SM) and the ST had a higher fat content on a moisturefree basis than other muscles for both regularcured and wateradded hams. Significant differences (P < 0.05) among muscles for flavor and juiciness were evident for the regularcured hams; however, there were no significant differences for the hams in the wateradded group. There were significant differences in pigment concentration among muscles from the centercut slices from wateradded hams. Regularcured hams in gross morphology group 5 were significantly (P < 0.05) more juicy and more tender than hams in the other four quality groups. Also, center slices from hams in the high quality gross morphology group (group 5) were more uniform in muscle color, more desirable in lean color and contained more fat than hams in group 1. Regularcured hams in gross morphology group 5 also produced individual muscles which were more desirable in lean color (SM, BF), more flavorful (SM), more juicy (ST, BF) and more tender (ST, BF) than hams in group 1. Wateradded hams in gross morphology group 5 did not differ from hams in group 1 in any of the traits but were significantly (P < 0.05) more tender than those in group 2. Copyright 1971, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved
