Effect of cooking conditions on creatinine formation in cooked ham.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of different cooking procedures on the concentrations of creatine and creatinine and the ratio of creatinine/creatine in cooked ham. Two cooking methods (constant temperature and increasing temperature, constant T and DeltaT, respectively) were tested on different locations in porcine longissimus dorsi muscle and ham (semimembranosus, biceps femoris, and gluteus muscles). The results showed larger creatine conversion into creatinine in the surface layer than in the core as well as higher creatinine/creatine ratio values when applying the DeltaT in comparison to the constant T method. A correlation between the creatinine/creatine ratio and the heat treatment was established, and 15 samples of commercial cooked hams were analyzed to support these results. This creatinine/creatine ratio analyzed in the surface of the ham could be used as a rapid and nondestructive indicator to determine the effectiveness of the heat treatment in cooked ham processes.