Researchers from the Meat and Meat Products Research Institute of the University of Extremadura have developed a non-destructive, innocuous method for quantifying the salt content of Iberian ham and classifyin it according to the degree of penetration of the salt in the muscle. The technique uses magnetic resonance, computer visualization and statistical calculus to monitor the diffusion of salt during the ham's maturation process. This novel methodology is based on the analysis of images obtained through magnetic resonance, followed by analysis of these images using computer vision algorithms and treatment of the information by data mining.
The salt (sodium chloride) content of the cured ham influences the product's sensory characteristics, texture and flavour. But salt is also a very important parameter from a technological viewpoint, as it is impossible for the maturation process to be conducted without the intervention of this substance. As a result, the conditions of the maturation process must be adapted to the salt content. Salt reduces the activity of water, inhibits the proliferation of micro-organisms and favours the formation of a meat gel. "Manufacturing ham with a very low salt content involves a high technological risk, as it may present significant defects, making it impossible to market in many cases," explains the researcher, Teresa Antequera.
Up until now, the meat industry only had destructive methods at its disposal to determine the salt content of ham. These methods are also longer and more expensive for producers. Which is why the work of the UEx researchers is geared toward developing non-destructive measuring methods to classify, monitor and predict salt content during the maturation process of the ham.
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