Hardness of dry-cured ham as a factor of consumer choice and its relationship to sensory acceptability

Bojana Savić; Martin Škrlep; Marjeta Čandek-Potokar

doi:10.18485/meattech.2025.66.3.60

Bojana Savić Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5344-5383
Martin Škrlep Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8252-8022
Marjeta Čandek-Potokar Agricultural Institute of Slovenia, Ljubljana, Slovenia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0231-126X

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18485/meattech.2025.66.3.60

Keywords: texture, dry-cured ham, CATA method, consumer preferences, overall liking

Abstract

This study investigated consumer attitudes towards Slovenian dry-cured ham, Kraški pršut with protected geographical indication (PGI), having different levels of hardness (soft, semi-hard and hard). A total of 626 participants took part in a two-step evaluation: a choice simulation of dry-cured ham pieces followed by a sensory evaluation using the check-all-that-apply (CATA) method on sliced samples and overall liking assessment. Instrumental measurements of texture profile confirmed the tactile-based classification of dry-cured hams (performed by the processor) into soft, semi-hard, and hard categories. Consumer choices of dry-cured ham pieces were relatively evenly distributed (32%, 29%, 38% for soft, semi-hard, and hard categories, respectively), but with a statistically significant preference for harder hams. Visual appearance was more often a reason for choice than tactile sensation (44% and 23%, respectively). Although choice simulation indicated some preference for hard hams, tasting of dry cured hams revealed that soft hams were more frequently perceived as ‘juicy’ and less frequently as ‘very salty’, albeit less frequently noted as ‘mature’. These findings highlight the importance of both visual and tasting attributes in determining consumer preference for dry-cured ham.