iberico salmi type sausage

It is a meat derivate in which the good quality protein predominates (high biological value) due to its composition of essential amino acids, and the unsaturated type of fat, mainly the oleic fatty acid (as it is basically a matter of minced lean meat from the Iberico pork shoulder) and seasoned with salt and spices like ground pepper, nutmeg and clove. It also has a minimum content of carbohydrates. It is an important source of minerals, among which the following stand out: the haemic iron (easily absorbed), magnesium, zinc, phosphorous and selenium and vitamins of the B group, mainly the niacin. The paprika, one of its essential ingredients, exercises an anti-oxidant function on the body.

Despite its gastronomic richness, it should be consumed with moderation due to its fat and sodium content (derived from the process of elaboration of the cold meat) and the effect it can have on the aetiology of certain diseases such as cardiovascular ones.

By Emma Ruiz Moreno, José Manuel Ávila Torres, Teresa Valera Gaspar, Susana del Pozo de la Calle and Gregorio Varela Moreira. Spanish Nutrition Foundation.