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Incorporation of n-3 PUFA into meat may lead to oxidation (one of the main causes of functional, sensory, and nutritional quality deterioration in meat and meat products) because of the development of offflavors, the insolubilization of proteins, and the formation of free radicals and other oxidized compounds, such as cholesterol oxidation products. However, fatty acids and AA contribute to the development of aromas characteristic of processed meat products such as dry-cured ham.
The objective of the present study was to study lipid composition, nutritional properties, and sensory characteristics of green and dry-cured ham produced from pigs fed either a diet containing 5% extruded linseed or a control diet; the pigs were slaughtered when they reached 160 kg of BW. Therefore a total of twenty-four barrows (78.1 ± 1.7 kg of initial BW) were fed a control diet (2.5% sunflower oil) or an experimental diet containing 5% whole extruded linseed. Both diets were supplemented with 170 mg of vitamin E/kg of feed. At slaughter (160 ± 9.2 kg of BW), 6 hams were collected per group and delivered for seasoning.
There was no effect (P > 0.05) of diet on the physicochemical characteristics of dry-cured ham. The linseed diet increased (P < 0.05) the content of n-3 PUFA in trimmed fat (green ham), semimembranosus muscle, subcutaneous adipose tissue, and the whole slice (dry-cured ham). Moreover, there was a decrease in the n-6:n-3 PUFA ratio from 12 to 3 in all of those tissues. In contrast, the greater α-linolenic acid content in linseed caused an increase in the iodine value of green hams to a value that is not accepted by the Parma Ham Consortium. A sensory consumer test indicated that linseed-enriched dry-cured ham had the least acceptance score for odor, taste, and overall acceptability descriptors.
It is concluded that the use of extruded linseed for pig feed is an acceptable way to improve the nutritional quality of long-cured pork products but could be limited by negative effects on the sensory characteristics of dry-cured ham.
M Musella, S Cannata, R Rossi, J Mourot, P Baldini, and C Corino. Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid from extruded linseed influences the fatty acid composition and sensory characteristics of dry-cured ham from heavy pigs . 2009. Journal of Animal Science, 87:3578-3588. doi:10.2527/jas.2008-1355