Quality and sensory characteristics of Culatello dry-cured products obtained from the Italian autochthonous pig Suino Nero Lucano and from a modern crossbred pig

The effect of the Suino Nero Lucano (SNL) pig genotype and crossbred genotype (CG) on chemical composition, fatty acid profile, oxidative stability, and sensory characteristics of 30 Culatello samples (15 from SNL and 15 from CG pigs) was investigated. SNL pigs showed a slower growth and therefore were older and lighter at slaughter. Samples from SNL pigs showed significantly (P < 0.001) higher amounts of haem iron, intramuscular fat, and monounsaturated fatty acids than those from CG. The oxidative stability, evaluated by measuring the acid, peroxide and TBARS values, was significantly larger in SNL than in CG Culatello. Moreover, Culatello from SNL pigs showed the highest level of consumer preference in term of overall acceptability (P < 0.05), odour (P < 0.001), taste (P < 0.01), appearance (P < 0.05), and consistency (P < 0.01). The present study confirms that the SNL pig represents a useful resource both for the obtainment of products with high nutritional and sensory value and for promoting the economic development of areas where they are raised.