Feeding finishing heavy pigs with corn silages: effects on backfat fatty acid composition and ham weight losses during seasoning

Figures & data

Table 1. Main phases of the ham process for the Prosciutto di San Daniele production (MIPAAF, 2007).

Preliminary phase (length: 1–5 d after the slaughtering).

At the slaughter house the fresh thighs (weight higher than 11 kg) are refrigerated (from −1 to +4 °C), some superficial parts of skin and fat and lean tissues are removed to endow the typical shape to the ham and then transferred to the ham factory.

Salting phase (length: a number of days equal to the thighs weight in kg).

Thighs, after a further trimming treatment, are covered with sea salt, in horizontal position and are maintained at a temperature from 0 to 3 °C.

Resting phase (length: 60–90 d, according to thighs size).

Thighs are maintained at a relative humidity of 70–80% and at 4–6 °C.

Dry curing preparation phase (length: 7–8 d, water rinsing and drying).

Thighs are maintained at a relative humidity of 80–90% and at 15–24 °C.

Dry curing phase (length: 8–9 months, according to thighs size).

Thighs are maintained at ambient temperature and humidity in curing halls without any treatment a part from the application (one or two times) of a grease mixture (named ‘stuccatura’ or ‘sugnatura’) to the superficial portion of the ham not covered by the skin.

Overall dry curing length from the thighs arrival at the ham factory to the end of dry curing process: 11–12 months (according to thighs size)

Table 2. Weights of thighs after slaughtering and during the dry curing process.

	Diets^a (D)		Trial (T)		Effect
	Control	Corn silages	1	2	D	T	D × T	RMSE
Thigh weights, kg
Warm^b	17.76	17.23	17.31	17.68	0.13	0.30	0.92	0.90
Cold^c	15.09	14.61	15.23	14.46	0.11	0.01	0.87	0.78
After salting^d	14.11	13.86	14.64	13.27	0.46	<0.01	0.46	0.87
Before resting^e	13.27	12.82	13.80	12.22	0.20	<0.01	0.88	0.77
After drying^f	11.86	11.51	12.09	11.27	0.17	<0.01	0.97	0.70
During dry curing^g	10.81	10.35	10.73	10.40	0.21	0.18	0.90	0.63
End of dry curing^h	10.46	9.97	10.47	9.92	0.04	0.03	0.88	0.64
Weight losses, %
Preliminary phase^i	14.98	15.22	12.04	18.17	0.53	<0.01	0.99	1.00
After salting^j	6.49	5.13	3.89	7.82	0.18	<0.01	0.32	2.91
Before resting^j	12.06	12.26	9.41	15.13	0.99	<0.01	0.63	1.81
After drying^j	21.14	21.21	20.64	21.75	0.91	0.14	0.56	1.90
During dry curing^j	28.28	29.06	29.56	27.75	0.23	0.02	0.38	1.86
End of dry curing^j	30.64	31.73	31.31	31.10	0.17	0.79	0.36	1.98

a Control: control diets; Corn silages: diets containing WECS or HCCS; RMSE: Root Mean Square Error.

b About 30 min after the slaughtering.

c The day after the slaughtering at the ham factory.

d At the end of the salting phase.

e At the beginning of the resting phase.

f 120 days from the start of the ham curing.

g 180 days from the start of the ham curing.

h 390 days from the start of the ham curing.

i Weight loss calculated between the thigh weights (2) and (3).

j Progressive weight losses as percentage of thigh cold weight (3).

Table 3. Fatty acid profiles in back fat of heavy pigs.

	Diets^a (D)		Trial (T)		Effect
	Control	Corn silages	1	2	D	T	D × T	RMSE
Fatty acid, %^b
C12:0	0.07	0.07	0.08	0.06	0.18	<0.01	0.80	0.01
C14:0	1.30	1.34	1.36	1.27	0.15	<0.01	0.82	0.10
C15:0	0.04	0.05	0.03	0.06	0.28	<0.01	0.39	0.02
C16:0	24.54	24.95	24.48	25.01	0.18	0.08	0.92	0.84
C16:1	1.74	1.77	1.78	1.73	0.49	0.37	0.46	0.22
C17:0	0.32	0.31	0.26	0.37	0.78	<0.01	0.52	0.06
C18:0	14.32	15.16	14.10	15.37	0.02	<0.01	0.32	1.21
C18:1 n-9	41.25	40.45	42.24	39.46	0.09	<0.01	0.86	2.10
C18:1 n-7	2.18	2.21	1.89	2.50	0.74	<0.01	0.37	0.20
C18:2 n-6	13.62	13.07	13.26	13.43	0.21	0.69	0.70	1.57
C18:3 n-3	0.63	0.62	0.52	0.73	0.97	<0.01	0.22	0.08
SFA	40.58	41.88	40.31	42.15	0.03	<0.01	0.52	1.79
MUFA	45.17	44.42	45.90	43.69	0.16	<0.01	0.75	2.23
PUFA	14.25	13.70	13.78	14.16	0.23	0.41	0.67	1.63
Calculated iodine value	64.24	62.63	63.97	62.90	0.05	0.17	0.51	2.29

a Diets: Control, control diets; Corn silages, diets containing WECS or HCCS. RMSE: Root Mean Square Error.

b Percentage of total determined fatty acids.

SFA: saturated fatty acids; MUFA: monounsaturated fatty acids; PUFA: polyunsaturated fatty acids.

MIPAAF. 2007. Ministero delle politiche agricole alimentari e forestali 2007. Disciplinare di produzione della denominazione di origine protetta “Prosciutto di San Daniele”. Supplemento ordinario della Gazzetta Ufficiale, Serie generale no. 77. Published on 2007 Apr 2.

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