2.1. Animal Data Availability

The samples and hams used in the present study were obtained from the slaughtering of commercial heavy pigs intended for human consumption, and thus the present research did not need approval from a research ethics committee. The heavy pig hybrids were slaughtered in commercial abattoirs in four slaughter days between March and July 2018. The animals were slaughtered in compliance with the European rules [20,21] on the protection of animals during transport and related operations and slaughtering. All slaughter procedures were monitored by the veterinary team appointed by the Italian Ministry of Health. The carcasses came from crossbred pigs reared in three different farms and were obtained from the crossbreeding of the three main breeds reared in Italy for heavy pig production, namely Large White, Landrace, and Duroc. These commercial hybrids were kept in collective pens until they reached the slaughter weight. The pigs were fed diets complying with the dietary inclusion limits established by the Parma Ham Consortium [4] and were slaughtered at an average live weight of 160 kg. Each farm sent their heavy pigs to a specific abattoir, and the thighs were then processed by a specific processing plant. Thus, the farm of farrowing, abattoir, and ham processing plants are collinear variables. Similarly, also the slaughter days match with the farms, abattoirs, and plants, with the thighs coming from the same slaughter day for the hams of plant 1, from two slaughter days for hams processed in plant 2, and from one day of slaughtering for ham processed in plant 3.