Effect of sex and dietary treatment on the composition and rheological properties of dry-cured ham subcutaneous fat

The effect of sex, dietary fat source (lard vs palm oil), and glycerol inclusion in fattening diet on the composition, fatty acid distribution within the triglyceride (TAG) and slip point and textural parameters was studied on dry-cured hams subcutaneous fat. A marked effect of sex on saturated fatty acids (SFA) percentage was found with barrows showing higher values than gilts. No effect of dietary fat source on subcutaneous SFA or polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was observed. Dietary glycerol increased monounsaturated fatty acids and decreased total PUFA in subcutaneous fat. Besides, the possibility of altering fatty acid composition at the 2-position of the TAG by dietary intervention during the fattening phase is very limited. Partial restructuration was observed in external positions of the TAG. All these changes affected slip point and textural parameters. An increase of hardness when palm oil was used as dietary fat and a decrease in all textural parameters values when glycerol was included were observed.