Fatty acid composition of salami from different countries and their nutritional implications

‘Milano-type’ salami from 13 European and American countries were analysed to establish their nutritional value in relation to fat and fatty acid composition. The fat content, fatty acid profile, ratio of n-6/n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, ratio of hypocholesterolemic/hypercholesterolemic fatty acids (h/H) and the contribution to the daily intake recommended for the population were studied. Differences (P<0.05) in the dry matter, pH, water activity, fat content, and percentages of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids were found.Principal component analysis permitted samples to be separated into three different groups: (1) salamis from Chile, Mexico and Brazil, with high n-6/n-3 ratios (14–16), medium iodine index (73–76) and high h/H ratios (2.6–2.7); (2) European salamis and salamis from Costa Rica and USA, with medium and high n-6/n-3 ratios (8–15), low iodine index (62–72) and low h/H ratios (2.1–2.6); and (3) products from Peru, with the lowest n-6/n-3 ratio (7.2), the highest ...