Until now, the method to fix the change of period in the production process consisted only in the perception of the experts of each industry, obtained through their long experience. Researchers from the Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC-Sevilla) have wanted to go a step further and have developed mathematical equations to more precisely monitor the behavior of the pieces , with the aim of knowing when is the best moment for, for example, they go from the drying room to the maturation in the cellar.
As the researchers have pointed out, the mathematical model consists of analyzing parameters such as the fat profile and moisture loss. To obtain it, they monitored ten hams during the curing process over three years. The person in charge of the study, Manuel León, from the Fat Institute, explains that data was obtained every hour, “which made this monitoring the first to be carried out on hams for so long and without degrading the product.”
After analyzing the data, they studied how the lipid fraction of the subcutaneous adipose tissue of Iberian ham evolves during the dry curing process. In addition, they determined the generation of the so-called volatile compounds, responsible for the aromas of the product, and that the experts grouped by families.
Thus, they verified the changes in the amounts of these compounds in the subcutaneous fat during the ripening process. This made them determine that ” an increase in temperature is related to the generation and loss of hydrocarbons and that, during curing, their quantity was reduced “, the experts specify. But, to what extent could these new models optimize the processes of the meat industry? In León’s opinion, “if the entire route of the piece is known, it is easier to locate where a fault has occurred, which benefits traceability and food safety”.
