HEADSPACE SOLID-PHASE MICROEXTRACTION FOR THE ANALYSIS OF VOLATILES IN A MEAT PRODUCT - DRY-CURED IBERIAN HAM

The application of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) combined with ga s chromatography/mass spectrometry for the analysis of dry-cured Iberi an ham volatile compounds has been studied. To determine the optimal c onditions to extract volatile compounds, several extraction times and temperatures conditions were tested. The majority of the 82 volatile c ompounds tentatively identified coincided with those reported for diff erent types of dry-cured ham in the literature. In addition, SPME succ essfully extracted high molecular weight compounds, some of them being reported for the first time in this type of meat product. Both extrac tion time and temperature dramatically increased less volatile compoun ds' chromatographic area and consequently total area (P < 0.0001).