Quality characteristics of pressed ham containing olive oil

This study was carried out to investigate the effects of olive oil on the quality characteristics of pressed ham. Five different treatments were tested based on differences in the amount of olive oil added to the pressed ham. As a control, 10% back fat was added without any olive oil. For the first treatment, 5% olive oil replaced a portion of the lard component added to the press ham. For the 2nd, 3rd and 4th treatments, 10%, 15% and 20% of olive oil were substituted for lard, respectively. Pressed ham manufactured with olive oil was vacuum packaged and stored for 1, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days at 4 degrees C. Samples were analyzed for shear force value, sensory properties, TBARS values and fatty acid composition. Shear force values increased significantly during storage for all treatments. No remarkable differences were found in sensory properties (color, flavor, texture, and acceptability) between the control and olive oil treated hams, and there was no clear change with increased storage time. There was no significant difference in TBARS values between the control and olive oil treated hams. The TBARS values increased significantly during storage for all treatments. With regard to changes in fatty acid composition, the contents of C14:0-C20:4 were decreased significantly by the addition of olive oil. The saturated fatty acid and polyunsaturated fatty acid contents of the control were significantly higher than the olive oil treated hams. Higher levels of added olive oil resulted in significantly higher monounsaturated fatty acid contents. Based on these findings, we conclude that the sensory properties and lipid oxidation (TBARS) of manufactured pressed hams are not affected by olive oil addition. These results also indicate that high-quality pressed ham can be manufactured with increased monounsaturated fatty acid content.