Effect of fatty acid composition and positional distribution within the triglyceride on selected physical properties of dry-cured ham subcutaneous fat

• Fatty acid positional distribution in triglyceride of dry-cured ham fat was studied.
• Positional distribution of fatty acids is related to textural behavior of ham fat.
• The ham fat hardness is related to fatty acids in external positions of triglyceride.
• The fat adhesiveness is affected by fatty acids in internal positions of triglyceride.
• Triglyceride configuration allows the obtainment of models to predict slip point of ham fat.

Analysis of fatty acid (FA) positional distribution within the triglyceride (TG) and selected physical properties of dry-cured ham subcutaneous fat (SF) were carried out. The slip point (SP) of the SF was related to the concentration and positional distribution of FA. When C16:0 was in Sn-2, the SP depended on the FA present in Sn-1,3. Hardness was related to the FA concentration in external positions of TG. A significant direct linear correlation between hardness against C18:0, SFA and average chain length (ACL) and inverse against C18:1, C18:2 and PUFA and unsaturation index (UI) in external positions was found. Adhesiveness was related to SFA, C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, MUFA, UI and ACL exclusively in Sn-2 position. A different role of FA in Sn-2 and Sn-1,3 positions on SP and texture properties of fat was found.