Pig sire type and sex effects on carcass traits, meat quality and physicochemical and sensory characteristics of Serrano dry-cured ham

This study demonstrates that improvements in animal line selection by breeding enterprises exert a strong effect on carcass traits, meat quality and sensory characteristics of Serrano dry-cured ham. A total of 461 pigs from the offspring of a Duroc (DU) x Landrace (LD) sow mated with two DU boars and a DU x Large White (LW) boar from three breeding enterprises were evaluated. The two DU terminal sires were significantly different (P < 0.05) in carcass conformation, backfat thickness, ham and loin yields, raw ham traits, myoglobin concentration and total pigments formed during the curing process; in addition, the two lines provided different percentages of hams (54 vs 91%) with sufficient subcutaneous fat and weight to manufacture dry-cured Serrano hams using a slow ripening process (11 months). The DU x LW sire had the best carcass and ham traits from an economic standpoint and obtained highest scores for sensory characteristics of Serrano ham evaluated by a trained panel test; furthermore, this line provided 84% of total hams suitable for manufacturing Serrano hams by a slow process. When the sex effect was analysed, carcass and ham traits of females were more favourable, but females presented a higher incidence of pale, soft and exudative (PSE) meat and a lower percentage of hams with sufficient subcutaneous fat and weight to produce Serrano hams using a slow ripening process (61% for females and 91% for castrates). On the other hand, castrates provided Serrano hams cured by a slow procedure with better organoleptic characteristics than females. Right and left hams were similar.