Three dimensional modelling of water and salting kinetics in dry-cured ham for improved quality control.

Superior quality and reduced salt content is of major importance in the production of dry-cured ham, which is a product with long traditions in several countries worldwide. The production is time-consuming and includes salting, resting and months of drying and ripening at low temperatures. The effects of the salt and water contents on the drying and ripening processes are of great concern. The industry would benefit from optimal drying and salting conditions for quality improvements as well as process optimization, with respect to temperature requirements and energy efficiency. A three dimensional model was developed in Comsol© and gives good visual overview over these processes in order to investigate different salting and drying scenarios during combined water and salt transport. Computer modelling is quicker, cheaper and much more flexible and convenient than experimental exploitation of different options, and gives detailed information also about the processes inside the meat. Models are compared to experimental data to ensure their reliability.