Abstract:

In order to decrease lipids oxidation of dry-cured ham caused by residual oxygen in package, preparation and characterization of a special compound deoxidant for dry-cured ham were investigated by orthogonal design based on the mixture of a rapid deoxidant and a slow deoxidant. Results indicated that the slow deoxidant based on iron as matrix was composed of 6.25% sodium chloride (m/mⅠ), 20% water (m/mⅠ) and 25% active carbon (m/mⅠ), which exhibited the maximum oxygen absorption efficiency. Deoxidation rate was 87.16% and residual oxygen was decreased to 2.67% in package after 1 h. The rapid deoxidant based on hyposulphite as matrix was composed of 30% calcium hydroxide (m/mⅡ), 25% water (m/mⅡ) and 6.25% active carbon (m/mⅡ), which exhibited the maximum oxygen absorption efficiency. Deoxidation rate was 98.21% and residual oxygen was reduced to 0.36% during 1 h of package. The optimal formula for compound deoxidant was 2.42 g iron, 0.073g hyposulphite, 0.33 g active carbon, 20% water (m/mⅠ), 6.25% sodium chloride (m/mⅠ), 30% calcium hydroxide (m/mⅡ) through regression analysis of orthogonal experiments based on saturated deoxidation amount. This compound deoxidant provided 92.67% oxygen absorption and residual oxygen was 1.67% after 1 h of package, which revealed a significant higher oxygen absorption than that of the slow deoxidant (P＜0.05). Moreover, this compound deoxidant could provide stable oxygen absorption for 12 h. Therefore, this compound deoxidant is suitable for dry-cured ham by deoxidation package during long time storage.

Key words: deoxidant, deoxidation rate, residual oxygen, saturated deoxidation amount, regression analysis