Microbiological and physico-chemical aspects in dry-salted Spanish ham.

The main microbiological and physico-chemical parameters in dry-salted ham previously selected were determined during the elaboration process. All determinations were performed at 2 levels: surface and internal. The selected microbiological parameters were: total aerobes, halotolerant, lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and hazardous microorganisms. NaCl, nitrate, nitrite, water activity, moisture, pH, temperature and loss of weight were selected for the physico-chemical study. All microbial groups showed a similar behaviour, increasing along the first stages up to the third month of drying, then decreasing to numbers similar to the initial ones. Only the halotolerants maintained fairly high numb…