Prof. Dr. Sc. Romano Božac
Agricultural Faculty
University of Zagreb
Svetošimunska 25
10000 Zagreb
Reference: Final report
Turopolje hog in the production of ham and shoulder
REPUBLIC OF CROATIA
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
VIP Secretariat
10000 Zagreb
Ulica grada Vukovara 78
Research topic
Turopolje hog as an autochthonous breed dates back to the sixth century, when
Croats first settled here. It is considered to be one of the oldest European breeds
and it is an integral part of the Sisak-Moslavina ecosystem. A special diet,
owing to which the meat quality is so good, accounted for the expansion of this
breed which is today on the verge of extinction.
The region of Posavina is particularly well suited for this hog breed from which
this autochthonous ham is produced. Due to a special diet and the muscle-fat
ratio in the ham, the final product has a unique smell, colour, taste and flavour,
as well as a favourable meat consistency.
It is on these facts that the whole research project is based. Due to the nature of
the ham production, the project has not been completed yet, since the hams from
the second research year are still in the maturation stage. After this ageing
period a series of complex chemical and organoleptic evaluations of the ham
will be carried out, on which a dissertation of one of my students will be based.
Technology
The pigs used in the experiment were bred in their natural environment until
they reached the weight of 120 kilos livestock. They were fed on acorns, roots,
various truffles, worms etc. Then they were fattened in the national park
«Lonjsko polje» up to the weight of 200 kilos. Their diet consisted of barley,
soya beans and corn ad libitum. Then they were slaughtered, their hams and
shoulders were processed, the concentration of pH1 and pH24 was measured as
well as the drying and ageing shrinkage. This was done first after six then after
12 months. After the first research year the hams underwent thorough chemical
analyses (aminoacids, fat acids, cholesterol, macro and microelements) and
organoleptic evaluation.
The hams were processed in the standard way. The legs were cut at the tarsal
ankle, the hams were separated from the carcasses between the last lumbal and
the first sacral vertebra. The pelvic bones (os ilium, os pubis and os ischii) and
all the hanging parts were removed, and the ham was circularly trimmed at 10
centimeters above caput femoris.
The hams were dry-pickled with 94,5% sea salt (70% bay-salt & 30% table
salt), 2% garlic powder and 3,5 % ground black pepper and were left for 21
days to mature in the »Gavrilović» meat industry. During the 6 month ageing
period, the hams and shoulders stayed in a chamber with the air flow of 10-20
cm/sec, 74% air humidity and the temperature between 13 and 14 degrees C,
with no smoke. After the drying stage follows the 12 month ageing process in a
chamber with light air circulation, the air humidity between 70 and 75% and the
temperature between 12 and 15 degrees C.
Economic study
Hams can be produced in ham curing facilities housing 500, 1000, 5000 or more
hams a year. It takes about 300,000 kunas to build a technologically acceptable
ham curing facility.
BUDGET
EXPENDITURES .................................................................... KUNAS
Meat, salt, spices for 1000 hams (20,000 kg of meat) ....... 760,000
Water, electricity, material costs .......................................... 50,000
Labour................................................................................. 100,000
TOTAL EXPENDITURES ................................................ 910,000
INCOME .................................................................................. KUNAS
Hams (minus 40% dry loss) 12,000 kg x 150 kn = ....................... 1.800,000
Balance ............................................................................... 910,000
PROFIT .............................................................................. 890,000
APPLICABILITY
Turopolje ham can be produced on the whole territory of the Sisak-Moslavina
County. In the meat curing technology we must take into consideration the fact
that the micro-climate (temperature, air flow and air humidity) must be
artificially created. Since the meat of older pigs (200 kilos livestock) is more
mature, the ham production must be based on such meat. However, since the
artificially fattened pigs of this breed accumulate great quantities of fat, the
profit is very questionable. Besides, meat industry and consumers are not
inclined to such fatty meat. Therefore, it would be good to examine the quality
of the ham produced from the hog bred in its natural environment. Naturally
bred pigs are lean and their meat would be well suited for dry-cured meats of
high quality. The hams got the highest grades for quality from the «Gavrilović»
meat industry.
Evaluation of farmers
All the participants included in the project - the national park «Lonjsko polje»,
individual farms and the «Gavrilović» meat industry - were very satisfied with
the project, especially «Gavrilović» that produced this smoked meat of highest
quality. «Lonjsko polje» is specially interested in the project because of the
preservation of the Turopolje breed, and the individual farmers will show their
interest in the project by applying for the loans to build small ham smoking
facilities on the territory of the Sisak-Moslavina County. With the help of the
Ministry of Agriculture and Foresty the project has definitely proved viable.
Quantitative data
Over the 2 year research period a total of 20 pigs of Turopolje breed was bred
and salted, i.e. 10+10+10 hams and shoulders were dry cured. In the second
research year the shoulders were not salted, because they had an insignificant
amount of muscle tissue, and, though of supreme quality, were not viable. In the
second research year the hams were dry-cured with a pickle of different
ingredients and were left to age for 12 months.
Hams and shoulders were subjected to all the necessary chemical analyses
and organoleptic evaluations. There was a graduation thesis based on the
project, and the dissertation of Marina Krvavica, M.Sc., is also based on it.
The hams were presented to the «Gavrilović» meat industry in Petrinja,
where they got the highest marks. Turopolje ham was presented, evaluated and
sampled on the meeting «Turopolje hog – an autochthonous Croatian breed»,
organized by «The Noble Turopolje Community», in 2002 in Velika Gorica. On
that occasion the head researcher also presented the paper entitled
«Turopolje hog in the function of ham and shoulder production». The research
results are not complete yet, because 10 hams are still in the last stage of
ageing. The research results are very extensive. The processed ham was
weighed, the content of pH1and pH24 ions measured, the cooling, salting and
drying loss determined and the basic chemical analyses (free aminoacids,
free fat acids, macro and micro elements,cholesterol) and organoleptic
evaluations were carried out.
Qualitative data
In the project «Turopolje hog in the production of ham and shoulder», the hams
and shoulders were salted in the first research year. Having studied the results,
in the second year only the hams were salted, because the shoulders with no
subcutaneous fatty tissue do not look appealing enough for marketing purposes.
The hams looked good and got the highest organoleptic evaluation. Due to the
special diet and favourable muscle-fat ratio in the ham, the final product has a
unique and superior smell, colour, taste and flavour, as well as the meat
consistency.
Conclusions
1. In my opinion, the project «Turopolje hog in the production of ham and
shoulders» has accounted for all the expenses and met all the expectations
regarding this research project.
2. The research project is a great contribution to the science and practice,
because so far there have been no researches of the Turopolje hog of this extent
and complexity.
3. Both a graduation thesis and a dissertation are based on the results of this
research project.
4. The market is offered an autochthonous dry cured meat product of supreme
quality, with no toxic substances (nitrates, nitrites), polycyclic aromatic
compounds and other carcinogens and mutagens from the smoke.
5. I would like to express my thanks to the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry,
«Lonjsko Polje», «Gavrilović», individual family husbandries and all the
associates who took part in the project.
7th November 2003
Head researcher
Prof. Dr. Sc. Romano Božac