Effect of Inoculation on the Quality of Dry‐cured Hams

Twenty paired pork legs were vacuum tumbled with cure adjuncts at 18 revolutions per minute (RPM) and 94.5 k Pa vacuum for 30 min. Following 40 days of curing, those legs from the right side were inoculated (I) with a mixed culture of microorganisms obtained from commercially cured ham and those from the left were not inoculated (C). All samples were evaluated at 56 days and 73 days for sensory traits. Water, NaCl, NO3 and NO2 determinations were also made. Inoculation increased (P <0.05) cured color development of uncooked samples cured for 56 days. Cure time and inoculation had no effect (P > 0.05) on juiciness or flavor. Aging increased tenderness (P <0.05), as evidenced in the samples at 73 days, and reduced the moisture content. Microbial inoculation did not accelerate the cure penetration rate and had no consistent effect on the amount of NO3 and NO2.