A METHOD FOR IDENTIFICATION OF FROZEN MEAT USED FOR PRODUCTION OF COOKED HAM

A simple method to distinguish if the meat used for production of cook ed hams was frozen or unfrozen was developed. Several analytical param eters of quality in meat products (general and colour parameters and p rotein fraction) were determined in two types of cooked hams: one elab orated with refrigerated (R) and another with frozen and thawed (FIT) raw hams. Student's t-test was applied to compare both groups, but it could not be concluded if R and FIT cooked hams had the same quality o r not. For this reason two multivariate statistical analyses, Factor ( FA) and Discriminant Analysis (DA), Ir ere applied. The application of FA resulted in the separation of the two groups of cooked hams and al lowed the selection of the parameters which were used in Discriminant Analysis (DA). A discriminant function, that is both easy to use and t o interpret, was obtained. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights r eserved.