Fatty Acid Composition of Traditional Beef and Pork Ham from Serbia

Tradition of smoked meat production on Zlatibor region, Serbia, has been handed down over centuries and has become a trademark of the region. The purpose of this study was to assess changes in chemical composition, fatty acids profiles as well as sensory properties of beef and pork ham. Ham was produced in traditional and industrial manner by two different meat operators located in the Zlatibor region. From the nutritional point of view, the obtained results indicate that smoked beef and pork ham could not be considered as low fat foods (fat content was ranging from 3.34 to 10.54%). The ratio of (MUFA + PUFA) to SFA in smoked beef ham ranged between 0.84 and 1.33, while PUFA to SFA ratio ranged from 0.11 to 0.15. In case of smoked pork ham this ratio was between 1.35 and 1.70 for (MUFA + PUFA) to SFA, and from 0.16 to 0.38 for PUFA to SFA. Σn-6/Σn-3 ratio (2.84 to 15.81) in smoked beef ham was lower than in pork ham (17.11 to 38.57). The sensory quality of smoked meat products was evaluated with DLG award in gold (5 products) and silver (1 product)