Relationship between protein physicochernical changes and cooking loss in ham cooked with different levels of NaCl

In a context of salt content reduction in cooked ham, the effect of salt content on cooking loss and protein physicochemical changes (oxidation and denaturation) was investigated . Experimentation s were performed on pork semimembranosus muscle salted at 0.9, 1.2 and 1.5 % and cooked at 50 or 70°C during 20, 60 and 120 min. Protein oxidation was evaluated by the measurement of free thiols and carbonyl groups. Thermal denaturation was assessed by the measurement of myofibrillar proteins surface hydrophobicity. A reduction of salt content significantly (p < 0.001) increased cooking loss and hydrophobicity but had limited effect on protein oxidation. Cooking loss was significantly correlated (p < 0.001) with carbonyls formation and protein thermal denaturation, indicating a potential invo1vement of protein physicochemical changes in water binding capacity.