Oxidative stability of lipids and cholesterol in salame Milano, coppa and Parma ham: dietary supplementation with vitamin E and oleic acid

An investigation has been carried out on the effect of dietary supplementat ion with vitamin E and oleic acid on oxidative stability of Italian represe ntative pork products. Fatty acid composition of deposited fat was modified in the oil supplemented groups with negative effects on fat firmness. Oil supplementation significantly increased vitamin E content of muscles, as we ll. Oxidative stability of fat, evaluated by TEARS and cholesterol oxides, has not shown significant differences between dietary treatments but, altho ugh the differences were not significant, the tendency was sufficiently cle ar, especially in salame Milano, towards a lower oxidation level in vitamin E enriched meat. Cholesterol oxidation was found to vary in general around 0.1% of total cholesterol and the only cholesterol oxides observed were 7 beta-hydroxycholesterol, 5,6 alpha-epoxycholesterol and 7-ketocholesterol. Aldehydes content and distribution appeared to be linked, firstly, to the s pecific processing technology of the product and, secondly, to the changed fatty acid composition. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.