Influence of the Production System (Intensive vs. Extensive) at Farm Level on Proximate Composition and Volatile Compounds of Portuguese Lamb Meat.

Today's society demands healthy meat with a special emphasis on integrated animal husbandry combined with the concern for animal welfare. In this sense, the raising of lambs in an extensive system has been one of the most common practices, which results in meats with high nutritional value. However, both the production system and the diet play a fundamental role in the chemical composition of the meat, which has a direct impact on the content of volatile compounds. Thus, the aim of this study was to determine the effect of two production systems (intensive and extensive) on the chemical composition and volatile profile of lamb meat. Twenty-eight lambs of the Bordaleira-de-Entre-Douro-e-Minho (BEDM) sheep breed were raised for meat production under the intensive or extensive system and were fed with concentrate and pasture, respectively. All animals were carried out in the muscle longissimus thoracis et lumborum. Results evidenced that all the composition parameters were affected by the production system. Extensively-reared lambs produced meat with the highest fat and protein contents, while these animals had the lowest percentages of moisture and ash. Similarly, the total content of volatile compounds was affected (p < 0.05) by the production system and were higher in the meat of lambs reared extensively. Furthermore, the content of total acids, alcohols, aldehydes, esters, ethers, furans and sulfur compounds as well as most of the individual compounds were also affected (p < 0.05) by the production system, whereas total hydrocarbons and ketones were not affected (p > 0.05). As a general conclusion, the production system had very high influence not only in proximate composition but also in the volatile compounds.

Effects of different cooking methods and of the inclusion of chestnut (Castanea sativa Miller) in the finishing diet of Celta pig breed on the physicochemical parameters and volatile profile of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscle.

The effect of different cooking methods and the influence of the use of chestnuts (Castanea sativa Miller) rather than commercial feed in the pig diet on physicochemical characteristics, oxidative stability and volatile profile of cooked Longissimus thoracis et lumborum Celta pig muscle was investigated. Four treatments were used for cooking meat from both diets: roasting, grilling, frying and microwaving. Analysis of cooked meat included the proximate composition (moisture, protein, fat, and ash contents), colour parameters (L*, a*, b*), cooking loss, shear force, lipid oxidation and volatile compounds. Overall, the cooking technique significantly affected the proximal composition, colour parameters, cooking loss, TBARS and volatile profile of Longissimus thoracis et lumborum, whereas the shear force was not affected by the heat treatment. Frying was the technique that led to a greater presence of fat. Additionally, microwaved and fried samples presented the highest cooking losses. Regarding to the lipid oxidation, grilling and microwaving showed more negative effects on the samples, while frying involved a lower presence of TBARS and hexanal contents. The major volatile compounds were aldehydes for all cooking methods except for the frying technique, which besides presented the lowest amount of total volatiles compounds. With respect to the finishing diet, in general the use of chestnuts did not affect the chemical composition, colour parameters, cooking loss and shear force of cooked Longissimus thoracis et lumborum. Nevertheless, a significant decrease in the TBARS value was found with the inclusion of this fruit in the finishing diet. At the same time, the use of chestnuts also affects the content of some volatile compounds such as heptanal and furan, 2-pentyl.

Consumer Acceptance and Quality Parameters of the Commercial Olive Oils Manufactured with Cultivars Grown in Galicia (NW Spain).

Mansa and Brava are olive autochthonous cultivars from Galicia, a new olive-growing zone from NW Spanish, from which high-quality extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) are obtained. The oils obtained as by co-crushing Mansa and Brava olives in different proportions as by blending with others olives cultivars have different composition that influence in their sensory quality. The consumer acceptance of commercial oils elaborated with Local Galician cultivars was evaluated and a quality-mapping of olive oils was created. It was found that the both Local oils had good physical-chemical quality parameters. From sensory analysis viewpoint, Local-MB oils presented the highest intensity values for color, odor, taste, and flavor, and the consumers had a higher acceptance and preference by Picual, Local-MBPA (60% Mansa and Brava, 25% Picual, and 15% Arbequina and Local-MB (60% Mansa and 40% Brava) oils. A quality-mapping of olive oils indicate that attributes better scored from the consumer are high intensity for color, odor, taste and flavor, and pungent and floral series, and bitter is rejected by them.

Sensory and Physicochemical Analysis of Meat from Bovine Breeds in Different Livestock Production Systems, Pre-Slaughter Handling Conditions and Ageing Time.

Different bovine breeds and production systems are used worldwide, giving rise to differences in intrinsic and extrinsic characteristics of beef. In order to meet the consumer requirements, new approaches are currently being developed to guarantee tenderness, taste, and juiciness of beef. However, the final consumer perception is complex, and it is also affected by several interrelated variables. This study aimed to evaluate the physicochemical parameters and sensory profile of three Spanish cattle breeds under different livestock production systems (extensive and intensive) and pre-slaughter handling conditions (mixing and not mixing with unfamiliar individuals at pre-mortem time). Meat samples from each group were also studied at different ageing times (7 and 14 days). Regarding sensory attributes, twelve panelists assessed meat samples and an exhaustive statistical analysis was carried out. The most evident and strongest effect was the breed type, allowing a great differentiation among them using principal components and discriminant analysis. The livestock production system was the second most important parameter, significantly affecting odor, flavor, and textural profile (fibrousness). It can be concluded that there were marked differences in the traits of these beef that could be modified by other factors in order to fulfill consumer tastes.

Evaluation of linseed oil oleogels to partially replace pork backfat in fermented sausages.

BACKGROUND: Nowadays, fat replacement in meat products is a matter of concern in the meat industry. The objective of this study was to evaluate the replacement of pork backfat with two oleogels of linseed in dry-cured sausages. RESULTS: Five batches of dry-cured sausages were prepared with two oleogels, a mixture of γ-oryzanol and ß-sitosterol (SO) and beeswax (B), at two levels of replacement (20% and 40%) (SO-20, SO-40, B-20, and B-40, respectively) and a control batch. The fatty acid profile improved in terms of nutrition: the polyunsaturated fatty acid / saturated fatty acid (PUFA/SFA) and n-6/n-3 ratio was about 1.41 and 0.93 for the higher levels of replacement, SO-40 and B-40, respectively. Quality parameters such as pH and color also changed with the inclusion of oleogels, resulting in changes in the sensory quality. CONCLUSION: Oleogels based on linseed enabled the replacement of pork backfat in fermented sausages. Depending on the level of fat substitution, such oleogels could replace fat in dry-cured sausages at the industrial level. © 2019 Society of Chemical Industry.

Effect of guarana (Paullinia cupana) seed and pitanga (Eugenia uniflora L.) leaf extracts on lamb burgers with fat replacement by chia oil emulsion during shelf life storage at 2 °C.

The effects of guarana seed and pitanga leaf extracts on the physical-chemical and sensory characteristics, and oxidative stability of modified atmosphere-packaged lamb patties with fat replacement during storage (2 °C) were investigated. Four treatments were prepared: control (without antioxidant); with BHT (10 mg/kg); with 250 mg/kg guarana extract (G250); with 250 mg/kg pitanga extract (P250). Analysis included the proximate composition (moisture, protein, fat, and ash) and sensory acceptance (day 0); pH, color (L*, a*, b*), TBARs, carbonyl content, DPPH, and visual sensory assessment (0, 6, 12, and 18 days); fatty acid profile and volatile compounds (0 and 18 days). G250 and P250 did not alter the centesimal composition and the acceptance of the lamb burgers on day 0. The extracts also delayed discoloration of the burgers, endowed the reddest intensity, and retarded lipid and protein oxidation throughout storage time, particularly P250, which presented the lowest TBARs levels (6.92 mg MDA/kg) and carbonyl values (5.59 nmol carbonyl/mg), and the highest antioxidant activity (249.48 µg Trolox/g), at day 18. The MUFA, SFA, and PUFA levels, AI, TI, and h/H ratio were comparable between treatments; only the n-6/n-3 ratio was higher in P250 treatment but within the recommended levels. More volatile compounds were derived from lipid oxidation in the control and BHT treatments than G250 and P250 treatments. As a result, both G250 and P250 groups are effective against color deterioration, and lipid and protein oxidation, without impairing the sensorial characteristics, representing a promising alternative to replace synthetic antioxidants by natural products in lamb burger.

Strategy towards Replacing Pork Backfat with a Linseed Oleogel in Frankfurter Sausages and its Evaluation on Physicochemical, Nutritional, and Sensory Characteristics.

Different health institutions from western countries ha-ve recommended a diet higher in polyunsaturated fats, especially of the n-3 family. However, this is not a trivial task, especially for meat-processing sectors. The objective of this work was to assess the influence of replacing pork backfat with linseed oleogel on the main quality parameters of frankfurters. The frankfurters were formulated by the pork backfat replacement of 0% (control), 25% (SF-25), and 50% (SF-50), using a linseed oleogel gelled with beeswax. The determination of quality parameters (pH, colour, chemical composition, and texture parameters), the fatty acid profile, and the sensory evaluation was carried out for each batch. The fatty acid profile was substantially improved, and the saturated fatty acid (SFA) content was reduced from 35.15g/100g in control sausages to 33.95 and 32.34g/100 g in SF-25 and SF-50, respectively, and more balanced ratios n-6/n-3 were achieved. In addition, the sausages with linseed oleogel also decreased the cholesterol content from 25.08 mg/100 g in control sausages to 20.12 and 17.23 mg/100 g in SF-25 and SF-50, respectively. It may therefore be concluded that these innovative meat products are a healthier alternative. However, sensory parameters should be improved in order to increase consumer acceptability, and further research is needed.

The extent to which genetics and lean grade affect fatty acid profiles and volatile compounds in organic pork.

Niche production is intended to produce premium pork, but several husbandry factors may affect the meat fatty acid composition and aroma. Fatty acid profile (by GC-FID) of raw meat and volatile compounds (by SPME-GC-MS) of cooked meat were analysed in loin samples from two pig genetic types-75% Duroc (Du) and 50% Pietrain (Pi) rossbreds that were slaughtered at different weights (90 kg and 105 kg, respectively) to achieve similar target carcass fatness, and the outcome carcasses were balanced for lean grade groups (<60% or ≥60% lean) within genotypes. Genetic type did not affect fatty acids (FA) profile of meat. The leaner meat had lower C12:0 and C20:3n - 3, lower saturated fatty acids (SFA) and higher MUFA/SFA ratio content than the fattier meat. Short-chain alcohols were lower in Pietrain and in leaner pork compared to the samples from Duroc crossbreds and fattier pork. A greater amount of hexane,2,4,4-trimethyl (an aliphatic hydrocarbon) but lower carbon disulphide (sulphur compound) content was detected in pork from leaner compared to fattier pork. Higher aromatics hydrocarbons were exclusively associated with Duroc crossbreds, and lower aliphatic hydrocarbons with pigs classified as fattier. Most of the volatile compounds detected in the present study came from lipid oxidation.

A Survey on the Effect of Livestock Production System and Finishing Diet on Sensory Characteristics of Foal Meat Using Generalized Procrustes Analysis.

The influence of livestock production system [Freedom Extensive System (FES) versus Semi-Extensive System (SES)] and finishing feed (1.5 kg versus 3.0 kg of commercial feed in the finishing period) diet on sensory properties of foal meat using Generalized Procrustes Analysis (GPA) was studied. For this work, a total of 24 foals (8 from FES and 16 from SES) were used. Samples were evaluated by eight panelists for eight sensory attributes: colour, marbling, odour intensity, sweetness, springiness, hardness, chewiness, and juiciness. Data were analyzed using a GPA to minimize differences among testers. Highly appreciated sensory properties (odour intensity, red colour, marbling, and juiciness) were mostly associated with foals from the Semi-Extensive System. On the other hand, the three groups studied (FES, 1.5SES, and 3SES) were clearly recognized by panelists on the consensus configuration and they were clearly separated on the map. This study concluded that sensory characteristics of foal meat from a Semi-Extensive Production System with a finishing diet of 3 kg concentrate were more preferable than the other ones.

Effect of commercial starter cultures on volatile compound profile and sensory characteristics of dry-cured foal sausage.

BACKGROUND: The present work deals with the evaluation of the effect of three different commercial starter cultures (Chr. Hansen, Hørsholm, Denmark) on the volatile compound profile and sensory properties, as well as some important physicochemical parameters, of dry-fermented foal sausages at the end of ripening in order to select the most suitable starter culture for this elaboration. The sausage batches were named as follows: CO (non-inoculated control), FS (Lactobacillus sakei + Staphylococcus carnosus), SM (L. sakei + S. carnosus + Staphylococcus xylosus + Pediococcus pentosaceus + Debaryomyces hansenii) and TR (L. sakei + S. carnosus +S. xylosus). RESULTS: The pH values differed significantly among batches, with the highest values corresponding to CO followed by TR, SM and FS. The highest amounts of volatile compounds were found in FS batch. Hexanal was the most abundant compound, especially in FS and SM batches. These batches also showed higher levels of compounds derived from carbohydrate fermentation and amino acid catabolism. Sensory results showed that acid taste was significantly lower in CO batch than in inoculated batches. CONCLUSION: According to most parameters, batches inoculated with FS and SM starters showed marked acidity compared with TR and CO batches, as expected from the manufacturer's indications. Therefore the most suitable starter culture for use in the manufacture of foal sausages in Mediterranean countries such as Spain with a preference for low-acidity products was found to be TR culture.

Study of the counts, species and characteristics of the yeast population during the manufacture of dry-cured "lacón". Effect of salt level.

The aim of this work was to study the yeast population during the manufacture of dry-cured "lacón" (a Spanish traditional meat product) and the effect of the salting time. For this study, six batches of "lacón" were manufactured with three different salting times (LS (3 days of salting), MS (4 days of salting) and HS (5 days of salting)). Yeast counts increased significantly (P < 0.001) during the whole process from 2.60 to 6.37 log cfu/g. An increased length of salting time did not affect yeast counts throughout the manufacture of dry-cured "lacón", although the highest yeast counts were obtained from LS batches. A total of 226 isolates were obtained from dry-cured "lacón" during drying-ripening stage, of which 151 were yeasts and were identified at the species level using molecular techniques. The total of 151 identified yeasts belonged to 4 different genera: Debaryomyces, Candida, Cryptococcus and Rhodotorula. Debaryomyces hansenii was the most abundant species isolated throughout the whole process as much in the interior as in the exterior of the pieces of three salt levels of "lacón" studied, while Candida zeylanoides was only isolated from the interior of MS and HS batches and from the exterior of LS and HS groups, but at lesser proportion than D. hansenii.

The influence of Debaryomyces hansenii, Candida deformans and Candida zeylanoides on the aroma formation of dry-cured "lacón".

The volatile profile of dry-cured "lacón" that has been inoculated with three different yeasts were determined and compared with a non-inoculated dry-cured "lacón". Yeasts (Debaryomyces hansenii, Candida deformans and Candida zeylanoides) that were used as starter cultures in the present study were selected among yeasts that were isolated from native dry-cured "lacón" at different stages of ripening process. These starters were spread on dry-cured "lacón" surface in order to test their capacity to contribute on the generation of volatile compounds. A total of forty two volatile compounds were detected by dynamic headspace sampling followed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Significant differences (P<0.001) on the volatile profiles of different batches were found in comparison with non-inoculated samples, showing the highest total area values for the inoculated ones. Esters were the most abundant chemical family in all batches studied except for C. zeylanoides batch, which showed greater amount of hydrocarbons than esters. The second more abundant family was hydrocarbons for control and C. deformans batches (147.6 and 445.24 × 10(6) area units, respectively), alcohols for D. hansenii (363.77 × 10(6) area units) and esters for C. zeylanoides (248.33 × 10(6) area units). However, the aldehyde compound group in control batch samples was found to be significantly higher than in the inoculated ones (P<0.001). Among inoculated batches, D. hansenii batch showed the lowest hexanal content (14.42 × 10(6) area units) in comparison with non-inoculated batch (105.99 × 10(6) area units). Among all batches studied, D. hansenii batch presented the highest area values for esters, alcohols, linear hydrocarbons, ketones, acids and furans; control batch for aldehydes and C. zeylanoides batch for branched hydrocarbons. Therefore, the study showed that every yeast strain produced a specific volatile profile which was also different from that of the control dry-cured "lacón".

Influence of the salting time on volatile compounds during the manufacture of dry-cured pork shoulder "lacón".

The effect of the length of salting time on volatile compounds throughout the manufacture of dry-cured "lacón" was studied using a purge-and-trap extraction and GC/MS analysis. For this study, six treatments of "lacón" were salted with different amounts of salt (LS (3 days of salting), MS (4 days of salting) and HS (5 days of salting)). The total area of volatile compounds increased significantly (P<0.001) as the length of salting time increased. Significant differences were found for the total area of all aldehydes for each salting time at the end of process. Hexanal presented the most relative abundance, showing highest content in HS treatments while LS treatments showed the lowest one at the end of salting, post-salting and drying-ripening stage. The influence of salting time on the content of 3-Octen-2-one was significant on salting stage (P<0.001) and drying-ripening stage (P<0.01). The salting time affected (P<0.001) the relative abundance of esters at the end of salting and at the end of drying-ripening stage. The salting time affected significantly (P<0.001) on alcohols content at the end of drying-ripening process. However, no significant effect of salt level (P>0.05) was detected on total hydrocarbons and total furans at the end of process.

Effect of pork fat addition on the volatile compounds of foal dry-cured sausage.

The effect of fat content on volatile compounds from foal dry-cured sausage was studied. Three batches (10 units per batch) of dry fermented sausages with different pork back fat content (5%, 10% and 20%) were manufactured; low fat (LF), medium fat (MF) and high fat (HF), respectively. A total of 45 volatile compounds were extracted by purge-and-trap and identified by GC-MS in the headspace of the batches. The mixture comprised 11 terpenes, 15 esters, 14 hydrocarbons and 2 alcohols. Spices were responsible for the generation of 14 volatile compounds comprising terpenes and hydrocarbons. After 49 days of ripening volatile compounds from spices represented 52.9, 38.9 and 31.2% of the total area for samples from LF, MF and HF batches, respectively, while lipid autooxidation was responsible for the generation of 8 volatile compounds. The PCA offered a good separation of the mean samples according to their fat content.

Fatty acid composition of Celta pig breed as influenced by sex and location of fat in the carcass.

BACKGROUND: The influence of sex and location of fat in the carcass on the fatty acid profile of Celta pigs was studied. Twenty pigs (10 castrated males and 10 females) from the Carballina line were used. RESULTS: The fatty acids composition was predominated by monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA; approximately 48% of total methyl esters), followed by saturated fatty acids (SFA; approximately 40% of total methyl esters) and, finally, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA; approximately 12% of total methyl esters). The sex and location of fat in the carcass showed significant differences in PUFA and SFA content while both factors were not significantly different with respect to MUFA content. Linoleic, linolenic, eicosatrienoic and arachidonic fatty acids showed the largest difference among the three locations (intramuscular, subcutaneous ventral and subcutaneous dorsal) of the fat in the carcass. CONCLUSION: The fatty acid profile that we observed in the fat of the Celta pigs does not differ greatly from those described by other authors in other autochthonous pig breeds. Principal component analysis offered a good separation of the mean samples according to the sex and location of fat of the pigs.

Changes in physico-chemical, microbiological, textural and sensory attributes during ripening of dry-cured foal salchichón.

The changes in the physico-chemical, microbiological, textural and sensory attributes of foal salchichón were followed during ripening. Foal salchichón samples were taken at 0 days (mix before stuffing), and after 7, 14, 21, 28, 35, 42 and 49 days of ripening. The final a(w) was 0.82, whereas pH values stayed around their initial values. TBAR'S values increased significantly (P<0.001) during processing, from 0.44 to 2.26 mg/kg of sausage. Ripening time also affected the lightness (L*), redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) (P<0.001). Hardness, gumminess and chewiness increased (P<0.001) from 0.96, 0.6 and 0.47 to 46.92 kg/cm(2), 21.34 kg/cm(2) and 15.14 kg, respectively during processing, whereas cohesiveness and springiness values decreased during ripening. Lactic acid bacteria increased slowly in number and a large increase of Micrococcaceae was noticed. Regarding sensorial characteristics, foal salchichón samples showed high values for intensity of flavour (7.22±0.44), hardness (7.33±0.71) and dryness (6.67±0.71) and low scores for acid taste (1.67±0.71) and saltiness (3.11±0.6).

Development of volatile compounds during the manufacture of dry-cured "lacón," a Spanish traditional meat product.

Volatile compounds were determined throughout the manufacture of dry-cured "lacón," a traditional dry-salted, and ripened meat product made in the north-west of Spain from the foreleg of the pig following a similar process to that of dry-cured ham. Volatiles were extracted by a purge-and-trap method and analyzed by gas chromatographic/mass spectrometry. One hundred and two volatile compounds were identified. In raw material, only 34 volatile compounds were found and at very low levels. The number of volatile compounds increased during processing. The substances identified belonged to several chemical classes: aldehydes (23), alcohols (9), ketones (15), hydrocarbons (37), esters (4), acids (3), furans (4), sulphur compounds (1), chloride compounds (1), and other compounds (4). Results indicated that the most abundant chemical family in flavor at the end of the manufacturing process was aldehydes, followed by hydrocarbons and ketones. Lipids were the most important precursor of flavor compounds of dry-cured "lacón."

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in two Spanish traditional smoked sausage varieties: "Chorizo gallego" and "Chorizo de cebolla".

The polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) content in two traditional smoked sausages from Spain was determined. Results showed, that total average levels of PAHs found were higher in "Chorizo de cebolla" (101.81 vs. 98.48 µgkg(-1)). Most contents of PAHs found in both sausages were phenanthrene, naphthalene and anthracene. The maximum level for benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) of 5 µgkg(-1) in smoked meat products was not exceeded in any samples. BaP represented a 0.73% and 1.15% with respect to the total sum of the 15 PAHs that were investigated in this study for "Chorizo gallego" and "Chorizo de cebolla", respectively. Correlation statistic analysis (P < 0.01) of the contents from samples analysed, showed that BaP was a good marker for Σ15 PAHs in "Chorizo gallego" samples (R(BaP/Σ15PAHs) = 0.77; P < 0.01) and it was a good marker for 7 U.S. EPA probably carcinogenic PAHs in "Chorizo de cebolla" samples (R(BaP/7EPA) = 0.95) and in "Chorizo gallego" samples (R(BaP/7EPA) = 0.81).

Meat quality of "Galician Mountain" foals breed. Effect of sex, slaughter age and livestock production system.

The effects of sex, slaughter age (9 vs. 12 months) and livestock production system (freedom extensive system (FES) vs. semi extensive system (SES)) of "Galician Mountain" foals breed on meat quality from the Longissimus dorsi (LD) muscle were investigated. Forty-two foals had been used for this study, 19 (11 females and 8 males) were reared in a semi extensive system and weaned three months prior to slaughtering (8 and 11 were slaughtered at 9 and 12 months, respectively) while the other 23 (11 females and 12 males) were reared together with its mothers in a system in freedom and were slaughtered at the age of 9 months. The obtained results showed that there were no significant differences between the sexes and the slaughter age whereas the livestock production system was a significant variation source on intramuscular fat content and meat tenderness because SES foals showed 51.6% more of IMF and the improved meat tenderness achieved a shear force of <3 kg. In general, the meat from foals of the study at hand showed very lean meat (<0.3% in IMF) with a high protein content (>20.5%) and heme-iron (1.62 mg/100g meat) comparable to veal meat. Furthermore, the meat samples showed a higher luminosity (L*>40), a very good water holding capacity, measured by cooking losses (<18.3%), and a tenderness less than 4 kg. Thus, it can be classified as "very tender" meat.

Influence of salt content and processing time on sensory characteristics of cooked "lacón".

The influence of salt content and processing time on the sensory properties of cooked "lacón" were determined. "Lacón" is a traditional dry-cured and ripened meat product made in the north-west of Spain from the fore leg of the pig, following a similar process to that of dry-cured ham. Six batches of "lacón" were salted with different amounts of salt (LS (3 days of salting), MS (4 days of salting) and HS (5 days of salting)) and ripened during two times (56 and 84 days of dry-ripening). Cured odour in all batches studied, red colour and rancid odour in MS and HS batches, flavour intensity in MS batch and fat yellowness, rancid flavour and hardness in the HS batch were significantly different with respect to the time of processing. Appearance, odour, flavour and texture were not significantly affected by the salt content (P>0.05). However, the saltiness score showed significant differences with respect to the salt levels in all studied batches (56 and 84 days of process). The principal component analysis showed that physicochemical traits were the most important ones concerning the quality of dry-cured "lacón" and offered a good separation of the mean samples according to the dry ripening days and salt level.