High pressure as an alternative processing step for ham production

• HPP can be used for developing innovative meat products.
• Ham produced with HPP showed a pale appearance and soft texture.
• The product yield can be improved by HPP.
• An additional heating step is needed to obtain the typical cooked ham color or texture.

As high pressure processing (HPP) is becoming more and more important in the food industry, this study examined the application of HPP (500 and 600 MPa) as a manufacturing step during simulated ham production. By replacing conventional heating with HPP steps, ham-like texture or color attributes could not be achieved. HPP products showed a less pale, less red appearance, softer texture and higher yields. However, a combination of mild temperature (53 °C) and 500 MPa resulted in parameters more comparable to cooked ham. We conclude that HPP can be used for novel food development, providing novel textures and colors. However, when it comes to ham production, a heating step seems to be unavoidable to obtain characteristic ham properties.