RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CATHEPSIN-B ACTIVITY AND COMPOSITIONAL PARAMETERS IN DRY-CURED HAMS OF NORMAL AND DEFECTIVE TEXTURE

Thirty-eight Italian dry-cured hams were analysed for cathepsin B acti vity, proximate composition and proteolysis index and results were rel ated to lean tissue texture, as assessed by an expert panel, in order to search for relationships between excessive softness, a major proble m in the raw ham industry, and chemical parameters. Softness was found to be related to protein breakdown which, in turn, was linked with hi gher residual cathepsin B activity and, to a lesser extent, to lower s alt content. Results suggest that the use of raw ham of controlled enz yme activity would improve the texture quality of the end product.