H.W. Ockerman*1 and J.C. Kuo**
*The Ohio State University Department of Animal Sciences
**Tunghai University Department of Food Science,Taiwan
Semimembranosus muscles (2.2-3.3 lb; 1 to 1.5 kg) from 32 hams were used with the tumbling technique to produce an attractive, uniform, high quality dry-cured ham. This production technique also reduced the required processing time significantly. Fat coating during storage of these products prevented deep internal mold growth, but plastic wrapping prevented moisture loss. Aged flavor development and this environment encouraged bacterial and external mold growth which resulted in flavor deterioration. During storage, residual nitrite was increased significantly by nitrate. Thiobarbituric acid (TBA) values, a measure of oxidation, remained relatively low in all treatment groups.
1For more information, contact at: 015 Animal Science Building, 2029 Fyffe Road, Columbus, OH 43210; 614-292-4317; Fax: 614-292-2929, Email: ockerman.2@osu.edu