Evaluation of the influence of starch and carrageenan on the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of cooked turkey ham

The use of carrageenan in ham is facultative, but the addition of starch is not allowed by the Brazilian legislation in this kind of product. In this work, a 2(2) experimental design was used, with duplicates of the central point, considering starch (0 to 2%) and carrageenan levels (0 to 1%) in the production of turkey ham. In both cases, starch and carrageenan showed negative effects on the purge loss and on the reheating loss, indicating that the presence of the hydrocolloids favored the retention of water in the product. However, there were no significant differences in pH, chemical composition, shear values and in the sensory evaluation. A synergistic effect between the polysaccharides was noted. Samples made with 1% carrageenan presented the formation of a gelatinous exudate, but the samples that had 1% carrageenan and 2% starch, did not exhibit this effect. The inclusion of starch to the turkey ham with added carrageenan reduced this undesirable effect. The utilization of starch in ham improved some physicochemical characteristics, reduced defects and there were no sensory differences when the turkey ham with added starch was compared to the Brazilian standard without starch.