Flavor compounds of American dry-cured ham

Relationships between sensory descriptors, consumer acceptability and volatile flavor compounds of American dry-cured ham

, , , , ,Department of Food Science, Nutrition, and Health Promotion, Box 9805, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS 39762, United States

Mississippi State University food scientists conducted a study and found consumers prefer the ham with intense caramelized, smoky, savory and molasses flavor notes.

Sixteen volatile flavor compounds from the headspace of dry cured ham are identified as impact compounds including "4-methyl-2-methoxyphenol (sweet ham), 4-ethyl-2-methoxyphenol (sweet ham), 2-methoxyphenol (smoky, cocoa), 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (smoky ham, savory) and 2-furanmethanol (burnt meat, vitamin)."

It was also found that consumers do not like hams either with flavor compounds like "methanethiol (sulfur), carbon disulfide (sulfur), 2-butanone (sweet), 3-methylbutanal (malty, fermented), 2-heptanone (burnt meat), hexanal (cut grass), benzeneacetaldehyde (floral), 1-octen-3-ol (mushroom)" or flavor compounds including "benzaldehyde (burnt meat, cooked meat) and limonene (citrus)."

The study report was published here.