Ultraviolet radiation effects on aging hams in high moisture conditions

Hams were aged in two rooms thermostatically controlled at 78°F. with a relative humidity of 80 percent. In one of the rooms a germicidal lamp was installed with the hams placed so that the exposure distance approximated 3, 6, 9 and 12 feet or were shielded entirely from the ultraviolet radiation. There were no significant or definite trends in shrinkage loss among the treatments during the periods of salting, equalizing, smoking and aging. Free fatty acids increased significantly with aging time; however, the FFA content among all treatments did not show a significant difference. The control and shielded hams had significantly more mold growth than those exposed to ultraviolet light rays.

The physical appearance of the exposed hams was significantly more oily than the control group even though there was a fat exudate in all treatments as aging time increased. Although there were no significant differences among treatments in fat color within the four exposed groups the color blended from a bright yellow to medium yellow as the exposure distance was lengthened. Flavor of the hams as scored by a laboratory panel rated only "fair." The reason for this relatively low score is not definitely known; however, the high moisture conditions may be a possible contributing factor.