Salt and intramuscular fat modulate dynamic perception of flavour and texture in dry-cured hams

• IMF and salt content of dry-cured hams influence dynamic perception of flavour and texture.
• IMF revealed a suppression effect on saltiness perception in Iberian hams.
• TI results of Iberian hams were more affected by salt and IMF content compared to Serrano ones.

The present study aimed to evaluate the influence of salt and intramuscular fat (IMF) content on the sensory characteristics of two different types of dry-cured hams (Iberian and Serrano) using the time–intensity (TI) method. All studied TI parameters of flavour attributes (overall flavour, saltiness, cured and rancid flavours) were significantly (p < 0.05) affected by variations in the salt and/or IMF content. However, regarding texture attributes only the maximum intensity (Imax) of hardness was significantly (p < 0.05) affected by the salt content of hams. Compared to Iberian dry-cured hams, the dynamic perception of the flavour and texture of Serrano dry-cured hams was less influenced by variations in salt and/or IMF content. The dynamic sensory techniques may be helpful to guarantee the quality of dry-cured products subjected to strategies of salt and fat reduction.