NaCl content and temperature effects on moisture diffusivity in the Gluteus medius muscle of pork ham

Dry-cured meat products are salted with different amounts of NaCl and then dried under different conditions (temperature and relative humidity) in order to stabilize the product. The effective moisture diffusivity values (D(e)) in Gluteus medius muscles, unsalted or soaked in different salting solutions (0.02, 0.05 and 0.08 kg NaCl/kg H(2)O), and dried at different temperatures (5, 13, 19 and 26 °C) and 80% of air relative humidity were determined. Water diffusion was only allowed parallel to meat fibre direction. The D(e) values were determined by applying Fick's second law. As temperature increased or NaCl content decreased, the D(e) increased. At low temperatures, the D(e) was less dependent on NaCl content than at higher ones. The energy of activation, obtained from the Arrhenius equation, is lower for unsalted compared with salted samples. Therefore, the effective moisture diffusivity of salted meat products is more sensitive to temperature variations than that of unsalted meat.