Texture and appearance of dry cured ham as affected by fat content and fatty acid composition

The relationship between texture and appearance characteristics and the moisture, intramuscular fat (IMF) content and fatty acid composition of dry cured Iberian ham was studied using principal component analysis. Intramuscular fat content positively influenced the proportion of oleic acid (R=0.5578), and exhibited a negative relationship with linoleic and arachidonic acids (R = -0.5215 and -0.5770 respectively). IMF content also had a positive influence on some texture and appearance traits of ham, such as oiliness, brightness, juiciness and marbling. However, it was negatively related to dryness, fibrousness and hardness. Moisture displayed no relationship with juiciness, dryness or any other textural or appearance trait. Therefore, within the ranges of fat content and moisture found in the present study, IMF content has a stronger influence on the texture of ham than the degree of dehydration. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.