Fatty acid composition, oxidation status and volatile organic compounds in “Colonnata” lard from Large White or Cinta Senese pigs as affected by curing time

The aim of the present paper was to evaluate the fatty acid composition, lipolysis, lipid oxidation and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in Colonnata lard from Large White (LW) or Cinta Senese (CS) pigs during one-year of curing. CS lard contained higher amounts of unsaturated fatty acids than that from LW, due to the different rearing and feeding systems. Despite higher lipolysis in CS backfat during the curing period, the rate of fatty acid and cholesterol oxidation was higher in LW. The amount of cholesterol oxidation products (COPs) and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARs) significantly decreased after 3 months of curing, regardless of the type of lard. VOCs composition of lard was affected by curing time, but not by breed. While volatile fatty acid oxidation products (mainly aldehydes) were present at the beginning of curing, subsequently other volatile compounds (such as sulphur compounds and terpenes) that derived from ingredients used for lard production, increased in the samples.