Messing with Danish genetics
Fraud with hams is only now leaking
The Italian authorities seized about 300.000 hams last year. The regular hams from Danish genetics would have been sold as the more expensive Parma or San Daniele ham.
Parma ham is a protected product name. To qualify for this, the production process must meet certain conditions. For example, the pigs must come from Italy, be at least 9 months old and weigh at least 160 kilos. The shoe pinches at this point: the 'sjoemelhammen' would come from pigs with Danish Duroc genetics, which reach the minimum slaughter weight in a shorter time (about 8 months).
serious volumes
The fraud came to light in February 2017. However, the details have only now been released. The cheating would have taken place for a longer period of time. About 140 (Northern) Italian pig farmers are said to be involved in the fraud. They are serious volumes that the authorities have confiscated. This concerns approximately 10% of the Italian ham production per year, with a value of approximately €90 million.
It is often assumed that Parma ham does not necessarily have to come from Italian pigs. However, this is a misconception. The condition is that Parma ham must come from pigs born, raised and slaughtered in Italy. Ham (from Dutch pigs, for example) can also come from Parma, but it may not be called Parma ham; this makes it confusing. Original Parma ham can be recognized by a 5-point crown on the ham or the packaging.
More frequent fraud with hams
It is more common to try to sell cheaper hams such as Iberco or Parma ham. In Spain, researchers have found a way to check the protected production name for authenticity. Hams can be checked for fat content and the degree of ripening by means of an MRI machine. This prevents the hams from having to be cut open.
Wouter Job
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