Flavour differences between northern and southern European cured hams

In this study two procedures for isolation of volatiles from hams were compared: simultaneous steam distillation-extraction (SDE Likens-Nickerson) and dynamic headspace. Because reliable semi-quantitative data were aimed at, according to our results, SDE extraction should be preferred over dynamic headspace isolation. About 70 volatile components were identified and quantified in several types of ham: southern European dry-cured hams (Serrano, Parma), northern European brine-cured hams and some experimental dry-cured hams with different ripening times. It was shown that the dry-cured hams had a more intense pattern of a whole series of volatiles related to fat oxidation, but also of some compounds related to amino acid degradation. Principal component analysis was used to visualize the relationships between the different ham objects. Some meaningful clusters of hams could be obtained and related to their volatile composition.