Effect of Penicillium chrysogenum and Debaryomyces hansenii on the volatile compounds during controlled ripening of pork loins.

During ripening of meat products such as dry-cured ham, the moulds and yeasts that proliferate on the surface may contribute to flavour development. However, their contribution to volatile components of dry-cured meat products is not known. One strain each of Penicillium chrysogenum and Debaryomyces hansenii, selected from dry-cured ham by their proteolytic activity, were tested to determine their effect on the volatile compounds during ripening. Sterile pork loins were inoculated and ripened for 106 days. Volatile compounds collected with a Solid Phase Micro-Extraction (SPME) fibre were analysed by GC/MS. Inoculation of pork loins with P. chrysogenum lead to a decrease in compounds attributed to lipid oxidation and to an increase of compounds derived from free amino acids. Inoculation with D. hansenii seemed to favour the formation of complex alcohols.