Sensory profile and technological characterization of boneless dry-cured ham with lactulose added as a prebiotic

Abstract

Objective: This study investigates the technological and sensory profile of boneless dry-cured ham with different contents of lactulose added as a prebiotic ingredient. Methods: In addition to the control samples (without the addition of lactulose), three treatments were formulated to contain 2%, 4%, or 6% lactulose. Technological (lactulose content, instrumental color and texture profile analysis) and sensory (acceptance and check-all-thatapplies tests) analyses were performed on the final product. Results: The lactulose content in the finished product (1.86%±0.23%, 3.16%±0.18%, and 2.51%±1.35%) was lower than the lactulose originally added (2%, 4%, and 6%, respectively). The addition of 4% and 6% lactulose made (p<0.05) the products darker (lower L*) and redder (lower h) with higher hardness and chewiness values, when compared to control samples. The additions of 2% and 4% lactulose reduce the appearance acceptability of the products, but overall the treatments were well accepted. Conclusion: The use of up to 4% lactulose as a prebiotic in the production of boneless drycured hams provides an alternative to improving its nutritional value with little alteration in the technological characteristics and still meeting the sensory characteristics desired by consumers.

Use of glucono‐delta‐lactone in the accelerated processing of boneless dry‐cured lamb hams

“…Shorter drying times were observed by Gomes et al . (2020), in which 36 days/kg was required for the loss of 40% of the initial mass in the preparation of boneless dry‐cured ham containing GdL as an acidulant and lactulose as a probiotic. Bergamin Filho et al .…”

“…These products, known as restructured or formed dry‐cured hams, are standardised so that whole pieces of muscle can be combined and formed using moulds or shells together with a cold binding agent such as the enzyme transglutaminase (Bergamin Filho et al, 2010; Jira et al, 2017; Lima et al, 2017). This strategy offers advantages during production, storage and transport because it reduces the weight and volume of each item according to the size of the bone, making the product more suitable for cutting and slicing (Sadeghi‐Mehr et al, 2016b; Gomes et al, 2020). In addition, deboned dry‐cured hams are more suitable for the retail market because they can be sliced where they are consumed or sold.…”