Imaging, Sensory Properties and Fatty Acid Composition of Parma Ham and “Nero Di Parma” Ham

This paper provides preliminary results on “Nero di Parma” ham analysing fatty acid composition from fat and muscle tissues in three locations. Computerized Tomography (CT) and sensory characteristics were also performed. The same measurements were investigated in Parma ham too. Significant differences in terms of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids composition were observed between hams resulting lower and higher in “Nero di Parma” ham than Parma ham respectively. Results detected by CT showed an inverse ratio of fat and muscle between the hams. “Nero di Parma” ham highlighted some descriptors such as oiliness, brightness, redness significantly different from Parma useful to define the sensory profile of a typical product which had never been tested.