Lipid and cholesterol oxidation in frozen stored pork, salame Milano and mortadella

An investigation has been carried out on oxidative processes of fresh and stored frozen pork and of two pork products (salame Milano and mortadella). Wholesale pork cuts (shoulder, ham trimmings, belly and backfat) were checked fresh and after frozen storage (1, 3 and 6 months). The streaky bacon was studied fresh and after scalding at 80 °C. Salame Milano and mortadella were produced with fresh and frozen raw materials and a few commercial samples were also part of the study. No real differences have been observed between commercial and experimentally produced salame and mortadella. Peroxide and TBARS values were low in all cases. Among the cholesterol oxides determined (7β-hydroxycholesterol, 5,6α-epoxycholesterol, 7-ketocholesterol and 25-hydroxycholesterol) those dangerous for human health were either absent or their concentration was below toxic levels. The results are discussed on the light of literature reports and Italian pork products technologies.