G. Tabilo et al., Postmortem meat quality and sex affect textural properties and protein breakdown of dry-cured ham, MEAT SCI, 51(3), 1999, pp. 255-260
Texture measurements by instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA) and pro
tein degradation analysis by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel ele
ctrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) were performed on 30 dry-cured hams resulting from
four different postmortem meat qualities categories (PSE, RSE, RFN and DFD)
. The main differences were observed in dry-cured hams from PSE and RFN mea
t qualities. Penetration force (80%), hardness, springiness, cohesiveness a
nd chewiness, were significantly lower (P < 0.05) in PSE than in RFN qualit
y classes. The rate of the ripening process was affected as a higher proteo
lysis and absence of fragments at 150 and 85 KDa in PSE in relation to RFN
classes, and with an intermediate proteolysis of RSE and DFD classes. The e
ffect of sex was observed as a significant (P < 0.05) low hardness in the h
ams obtained from female pigs. The duration of the ripening, for a better u
niformity in dry-cured ham production, should be adapted to the initial pH
and to drip loss parameters of the raw material. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science
Ltd.. All rights reserved.