*2.1. Experimental Design*

In this study, 10 dry-cured hams (8 ± 1 kg and pH > 5.6)—from 5 Duroc female pigs—belonging to the official label "Jamón Serrano TSG" were used. The pigs were raised under intensive conditions and in compliance with animal welfare standard [34]. Transportation of hams from the slaughterhouse and cutting rooms to the manufacturing industry (provider of Benibaldo S.A.U., Albacete, Spain) was conducted in refrigerated vehicles at a temperature <3 ◦C. Then, the dry-cured hams were processed using the following protocol: hams were pitted, peeled, polished, knocked out, and sliced in a slicer (Model USA-280, José Bernad, S.L., Albacete, Spain). The slices (0.8 ± 0.1 mm thickness) were placed on a coating base until 100 g was reached.

Because there are no previous studies on the addition of saffron to meat products, to establish the concentrations of this spice in each group, first, a preliminary sensory analysis was performed using a triangle test, to understand whether panelists can differentiate between the visual appearance of samples spiced with the lowest saffron concentration (0.015% *w*/*w*) and samples without saffron (control group). A sensory analysis was conducted following the recommendations made in a previous study [35], and the results were statistically analyzed according to [36]. According to a previous study in which 30 panelists participated in such a sensory analysis, the minimum number of correct answers for determining a perceptible difference should be 19 (∝ = 0.1%). In the present study, 28 of 30 panelists answered correctly. Thus, this concentration of saffron was considered the lowest that should be added to the ham slices. Therefore, the following groups were compared:

A (high: 0.055% *w*/*w*), B (medium: 0.035% *w*/*w*) and C (low: 0.015% *w*/*w*) and a control group without saffron.

Ground saffron, under the PDO label "Azafrán de La Mancha" was directly purchased from a producer (Agrícola Técnica de Manipulación y Comercialización, Minaya, Albacete, Spain). Generally, this product is commercially available in stigma form and not in powder form. Ground saffron was characterized according to ISO 3632:2011 [37] (*A*1%1 *cm* 440 nm = 230 ± 2, *A*1%1 *cm* 257 nm = 95 ± 3, and *A*1%1 *cm* 330 nm = 24 ± 1). Saffron was evenly added to the samples using a stainless-steel dredger (Model KCFINE, Kitchen Craft, 7.3 × 7.3 × 9.1, 140 g, Amazon, Spain). The temperature during the manufacturing process did not exceed 15 ◦C. Samples (sachets of ham slices of 100 g each) were packed under vacuum conditions with a packaging machine (Model JB-350/M, José Bernad, S.L.) using a base to plate ham (Model 16409, 26 cm, Manchaplas, S.L., Albacete, Spain) and vacuum bags (Model 90M, 350 × 300 mm2, Gutplask, S.L., Getafe, Madrid, Spain) with an oxygen permeability rate <70 cm3/m2/24 h, tensile strength at break of 21–43 MPa, elongation at break of 400–600%, and a slow resistance to penetration >1 N. After packaging, samples were stored in the dark at 2 ◦C until the analysis. Physicochemical quality was analyzed at 0, 7, 14, 28, and 60 days of storage, whereas the sensory analysis was done after 7 days of preparation. A total of 192 sachets were prepared, of which 20 and 160 were used in the physicochemical and sensory analysis, respectively, and 12 were used to analyze the transfer of aromatics.
