COMPOSITION, QUALITY AND MICROBIOLOGY OF DRY‐CURED HAMS PRODUCED FROM PREVIOUSLY FROZEN GREEN HAMS

ABSTRACT Four groups of 15 hams each were divided as follows: Group 1 was placed in cure while frozen. Groups 2, 3 and 4, respectively, were placed in cure after thawing at 3°C, 15°C or in running water at 38°C. After curing 4 wk at 3–4°C and salt equalization at 13°C for 4 wk, they were smoked 24 hr at 38°C and aged 3 mo. at 24°C. Hams were sliced, evaluated for color and odor, cooked, evaluated by a palatability panel and sheared for tenderness; lean was analyzed for moisture, salt and nitrite. Various microbial counts were made on surface and core samples at different processing periods. Group 1 had the least weight loss with no differences between groups 2, 3 and 4. Color, aroma, general appearance and palatability scores and nitrite content were similar for all hams. Shear values were lower for the semimembranosus muscle in group 1. Other shear values were similar. Group 1 was lower in salt and higher in moisture than groups 2, 3 and 4, with no differences among the latter three groups. No bacteria of public health significance were detected in or on hams before curing or after 3 mo aging. Freezing and storage seemed to cause injury to some microbial species and resulted in failure to recover selected pathogens and some nonpathogens from thawed hams. Higher initial surface counts were obtained from hams thawed before curing than from hams cured frozen. Hams cured frozen had higher surface counts after curing than hams thawed before curing. The results probably are related to the lower salt and higher moisture levels of hams cured frozen, as well as to the method used to thaw the hams.