FOOD. Science. Technology. Quality

Food. SCIENCE. Technology. Quality

Food. Science. TECHNOLOGY. Quality

Food. Science. Technology. QUALITY

Authors

PIOTR KARPIŃSKI, MARTA ŁĄTKOWSKA, BARTOSZ KRUSZEWSKI, PAULA KUŹMA, MIECZYSŁAW W. OBIEDZIŃSKI

Title

Profile of volatile compounds in European dry-cured hams as indicator of their quality and authenticity

Abstract

In the research study, the analysis is presented of profiles of volatile compounds in dry-cured hams using SPME (solid phase microextraction) together with GC-MS and chemometric techniques of PCA (principal component analysis) and CA (cluster analysis). Seven dry-cured hams from different European countries were analyzed: Serrano ham from Spain, Parma, Crudo, and Mantovelle hams from Italy, kumpiak podlaski ham from Poland, and Schinkenspeck ham from Germany. In the hams analyzed, 61 volatile compounds were identified and classified in the following groups: aldehydes (14), ketones (3), alcohols (7), esters (9), alkanes (6), aromatic hydrocarbons (2), acids (4), heterocyclic compounds (1), terpenes (11), phenols (1) and others (3). The prevailing groups were aldehydes and alcohols. It was found that the saturated aliphatic aldehydes (2-metylobutanal and 3-metylobutanal) were present in the hams; they are a good indicator of the oxidation process ongoing in the dry-cued hams; moreover, there were found products of fatty acid oxidation (hexanal, octanal). The chemometric treatment made it possible to diversify the material under analysis and to identify hams based, among other things, on the production technology. On the basis of the analysis of principal components and cluster analysis, 4 groups of hams were defined: Italian and Spanish, Polish ham, and German ham. The combination of instrumental analysis and chemometric methods can be useful for determining the origin of product and its authenticity.

Keywords

dry-cured hams, SPME-GC-MS, volatile compounds, chemometrics

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