High hydrostatic pressure treatment for the assessment of quality in sliced skin-packaged cooked and cured hams

In this study, a pressure of 600 Mpa was applied to sliced skin-packaged cooked ham and cured hams. Different lots were spiked with different food pathogens and spoiling microorganisms: slime-producing lactic acid bacteria (LAB), Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Campylobacter jejuni and Debaryomyces hansenii and compared to non-spiked samples. All samples were treated at high pressures and compared to parallel treatments non pressurized. Samples were stored up to 120 days at 4C and periodically analyzed