Concerning carcass and meat quality no significant differences between treatments were detected (Table 3); also fatty acid composition and iodine number of the raw thighs subcutaneous fat did not show any significant differences between treatments (data not shown). Table 4 shows the main quality parameters (weight losses, sensory analysis, chemical composition and oxidative status) of the cured hams. With the exception of a higher weight loss after trimming and a lower water content observed in the DD group (Po0.05 for both parameters), no significant differences were detected between the groups during the whole process.