Metabolomic profiling of Iberian dry-cured ham: Preliminary approach to discriminate between hams from different commercial categories

For more than 25 years, profuse research has aimed to discriminate Iberian-dry-cured hams produced from pigs differing in genetics (pure Iberian vs. crosses) and feeding background (natural resources vs. commercial feeds). Certain advanced MS-based analytical tools have been found useful to characterise and authenticate a variety of meat products. Here, for the first time, the metabolome (more than 3000 identified compounds) of Iberian dry-cured hams from the three most valuable categories, labeled as BLACK, RED and GREEN, is analysed using a Q-Exactive Orbitrap mass-spectrometry (MS) equipment. The chemical structure, plausible origin and role played by the 35 most abundant chemical species in Iberian dry-cured hams, are reported. Additionally, Iberian hams differing in genetic background namely, BLACK (100 % Iberian) and RED (50 % Iberian) were found to differ in 142 discriminating metabolites. Sixty-six distinctive metabolites were found in RED hams, produced from pigs fed on natural resources, while seventy discriminating metabolites were identified in GREEN hams, produced from pigs fed on concentrate. The method applied provided a preliminary metabolic fingerprinting of Iberian dry-cured hams, which may be helpful for authentication purposes.