Effect of duration of the Montanera diet on the hydrocarbon fraction of intramuscular lipids from Iberian dry‐cured ham; characterization by gas chromatography

The characterization and differentiation of Iberian hams was studied as a function of the diet received by animals during the fattening period using a method based on hydrocarbon analysis. Thirty‐one hams were divided into three groups according to fattening diet (1, ‘Concentrate Feed’, fed on an intensive system with concentrates; 2, ‘Short Montanera’, fed on an extensive system with acorns and pasture for 50 days; and 3, ‘Long Montanera’, fed on an extensive system for 75 days). Saturated hydrocarbons in the n ‐C 14 to n ‐C 32 range and a large number of branched hydrocarbons were identified in the intramuscular fat of the three groups studied. The diet of the pigs during the fattening period did not affect the n ‐alkane and n ‐alkene content. The analysis of branched hydrocarbons revealed some significant differences relative to the type of diet. The ‘Concentrate Feed’ group had different concentrations of 2‐butyl‐1,1,3‐trimethylcyclohexane ( P < 0.01), 3‐octadecene ( P < 0.001), branched hydrocarbon 4 ( P < 0.01) and neophytadiene ( P < 0.001) than the ‘Montanera’ group. Copyright © 2006 Society of Chemical Industry