Saltiness of coarsely ground cooked ham with reduced salt content

Authors

• M. RUUSUNEN
• M. SÄRKKÄ-TIRKKONEN
• E. PUOLANNE

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.5676

Abstract

When the salt content of food is reduced a lack of flavor is anticipated to be the greatest problem related to consumer acceptance. The aim of this study was to examine how much the salt content of cooked ham can be reduced without a significant effect on sensory saltiness. Hams made up of coarsely ground pork with added phosphate were prepared and the cooking loss was determined. The salt content of the hams were 1.1, 1.4, 1.7, 2.0, 2.3 and 2.6% NaCl. The saltiness intensity of cold hams was rated against a reference ham (1.7% NaCl) using a relative-to-standard scale. The cooking loss in ham made with 1.1% added salt was higher than in the other hams. The ham with 1.7% NaCl was rated as salty as the hams with 2.0 and 2.3% NaCl (P>0.05), but saltier than those with 1.1 and 1.4% (P<0.05). The ham with 2.6% NaCl was the saltiest, but it did not differ significantly from those with 2.0 or 2.3% (P>0.05). The results of this study suggest that based on saltiness evaluations it is possible to reduce the salt content of cooked ham to 1.7% NaCl.;