Il Prosciutto San Michele

of 23 producers. The Consortium's aims were to safeguard the genuine product and to lobby for a law to protect the image represented by the name "Parma".

The processing of Parma ham has an ancient tradition - Cato the "Censor" in 2BC mentions a tasty preservation of pork legs through abundant salting in his writings. The legs were left to dry, greased with a little oil and could age without spoiling. A tasty meat was obtained which could be eaten over a period of time while maintaining its pleasant flavour. Even earlier, in 5BC, in the Etruscan Po river valley, salted preserved pork legs were traded with the rest of Italy and with Greece.
To safeguard the genuine product, the Consortium of Parma ham was set up on 18th April 1963, on the initiative of 23 producers. The Consortium's aims were to safeguard the genuine product and to lobby for a law to protect the image represented by the name "Parma".
On 12th June 1996, the European Union filed the protected denomination of origin "Parma ham" in terms of Community protection, in compliance with EEC Reg. 2081/92.
1998 marks a decisive year for the Consortium: art. 10 of EEC regulation 2081/92 establishes that Control Bodies who ensure that European foodstuffs which hold Protected Denomination of Origin status should meet disciplinary regulations contained in the EN 45011 regulation. As from 1/1/1998 the Certifying Body, the I.P.Q. (Instituto di Parma Qualita) - an autonomous body independent of the Consortium - oversees the entire production line of Parma ham.

THE SECRET OF SWEETNESS
A gentle landscape with softly rolling hills, fields and farmsteads. The air here is unique, dry and sweet-smelling with breezes from the Apennine mountains creating perfect environmental conditions for a natural "drying" of the hams.
The secret of Parma ham begins with a careful and accurate selection of the raw materials: the pigs. The Large White, Landrance and Duroc breeds are used and the mean weight per batch must be 160Kg (+/- 10%). Neither boars nor sows can be used. The feeding of the swine and the breeding techniques are also regulated to ensure a heavy pig with a moderate daily growth in an excellent state of health. These measures have been adopted by the Consortium of Parma ham to ensure a suitable quality standard for every single ham that bears its mark.
Pig-breeding farms, currently about 5,500 and the 180 slaughter houses, must be located in a well-defined area in the following regions: Emilia-Romagna, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Molise, Umbria, Tuscany, the Marches, Abruzzo and Latium. To be included in the area of protected production, breeders must be acknowledged and classified by the Istituto Parma Qualità and an indelible tattoo placed on each pork leg within 30 days of birth. The tattoo shows the breeder's code and the month of birth of the pig. This data is recorded by the Consortium.

The abattoirs must meet statutory health and hygiene regulations and be acknowledged by the I.P.Q. The I.P.Q. issue an identification code and a fire-brand showing this code. The abattoir must stamp the fire-brand in a clearly visible position on the pigskin of each fresh leg after ensuring all regulations have been met and documented.
During the salting stage, a metal seal is added to the two previous marks; the seal shows the date on which processing began. This is recorded in a special register for each batch of legs. If any flaws are observed, the seal that may already have been placed is removed by the I.P.Q. officers who then draw up a special report. Breeders, slaughter-houses and producers as well as all those who package, transport, sell, or distribute Parma ham to consumers, must ensure all controls and legal obligations have been met. Inspections to check the suitability of the premises and of the installations may also occur.

Parma ham producers must also meet certain requirements including health and safety and a properly equipped building. They must be located within the geographical boundaries of the Parma production area, 5 km south of the via Emilia, limited to the east by the river Enza and on the west by the river Stirone, and up to an altitude of 900m.
The production of genuine Parma ham is the story of a special relationship between man and nature. Since Roman times, the unique conditions of the Parma region have made it possible to produce the highest quality hams which have been appreciated by gourmets for centuries.
Parma ham is a jewel in the culinary tradition of Italy, reflected in the coveted Protected Denomination of Origin status. It is the Consortium of Parma ham that protects its quality, purity and full compliance with tradition, so that consumers can be sure that they are buying genuine Parma ham.
Parma ham is produced and cured in the traditional production area near Parma and is identified by its famous logo, the ducal crown, which guarantees the quality of genuine Parma ham. The hams are made from nine month old pigs with a minimum weight of 150 kilos, bred in ten northern and central Italian regions.

Parma ham production is based on traditional methods and carried out by experienced men who love the product. It follows 10 stages:

	1.	Cutting
	2.	Cooling
	3.	Trimming
	4.	Salting
	5.	Rest
	6.	Washing-Drying
	7.	Pre-curing
	8.	Greasing
	9.	Curing
	10.	Branding

1. CUTTING
Before slaughter, the pig must:
- be healthy
- be rested
- have fasted for 15 hours

2. COOLING
The insulated leg is put in special cold stores where it stays for 24 hours. This phase is necessary in order to: - Lower the leg temperature from 40°C to 0°C for hygiene reasons
- Firm up the meat through the cold temperature, making the subsequent trimming phase easier.
During the cooling phase the leg undergoes a weight loss of about 1% of the total.

3. TRIMMING
Through trimming some fat and pigskin are removed to give the ham its typical round "chicken leg" shape.
The trimming is carried out for two reasons: one is aesthetic and the other is technical as it helps the following salting phase.
During this phase legs with even the smallest faults are discarded.
With the trimming, the leg loses 24% of its weight in fat and muscle.
In this phase the leg is composed as follows:
· Humidity 74 / 75%
· Proteins 19 / 20%
· Ashes 1%
· Intra-muscular fat 4 / 5%

4. SALTING
The cooled and trimmed leg is sent from the slaughter-houses to the curing houses.
It is important at this stage that the legs have an adequate and uniform temperature, as a leg which is too cold doesn't absorb enough salt, whereas a leg which is not cold enough may deteriorate.
The salting is carried out using both humid and dry salt: the pigskin is treated with humid salt, while the muscular parts are covered with dry salt.
Legs are then put in a cold store at a temperature ranging from 1°C to 4°C, with a humidity level of about 80%.
Legs stay in this store called "of first salt" for 6 to 7 days; they are then taken out, the residual salt is removed and they are covered again with a thin coat of salt. Finally they are put in another cold store called "of second salt", where they stay for 15 to18 days, according to their weight. During this period the leg slowly assimilates the salt and loses some humidity. At the end of the salting phase the weight loss is of about 3.5% - 4%.
Salt is the only preservative admitted; no chemical elements can be used.
Parma ham is 100% a natural product.

5. REST
After removing the residual salt, the legs are put in the rest store for 60 to 70 days with a humidity level of about 75% and at a temperature ranging from 1°C to 5°C. These stores are often aired. During this phase the ham has to "breathe" without becoming either too wet or too dry and the assimilated salt penetrates deeply and distributes uniformly inside the muscular mass.
The weight loss during the rest phase amounts to about 8% - 10%.

6. WASHING-DRYING
The hams are washed with warm water to eliminate possible salt and impurities.
The drying is carried out in natural conditions during sunny, dry and airy days or in special dryers; this operation lasts about 1 week.

7. PRE-CURING
This phase is carried out in large rooms with windows on either side, where hams are hung on special wood frames called "scalere".
The airflow regulation is very important: windows are opened with regard to the ratios of internal/external humidity and internal humidity/product humidity. This allows for a constant and gradual drying of the hams. This phase lasts about 3 months.
After the curing phase the ham is beaten to improve its round shape. Sometimes the cavity around the bare part of the bone is covered with pepper in order to keep the contact area dry.
Weight loss during this phase amounts to about 8% - 10%.

8. GREASING
During this phase the cavity around the bare part of the bone, the uncovered muscular mass and possible chaps are covered with lard, a mixture of minced pig fat and some salt and pepper and sometimes ground rice.
The greasing softens the superficial muscular layers so that the external layers don't dry too rapidly. It also allows further humidity loss.

9. CURING
In the 7th month, the ham is transferred to the "cellars", rooms with less air and light where the sounding, an essential phase in the "ham life", is carried out. A horse bone needle, which rapidly absorbs the product fragrances, is inserted in different parts of the ham and smelt by experts who can verify the development of the production process.
During the seasoning, important biochemical and enzymatic processes occur which determine the typical Parma ham flavour, perfume and taste and the easy digestibility.
The weight loss during the curing is about 5%.

10. BRANDING
At the end of the ageing period, which is a minimum of 10 months for hams weighing from 7 to 9 Kg. and 12 months for those weighing over 9 Kg., the ham has lost most of its initial weight (about 28%) and acquired its inviting and delicate aroma.
Only then are the hams ready for the official stamp of certification: the fire-branding with the ducal crown.
Since the fire branding is the final guarantee that all the processing stages have been carried out correctly, the officers of the Certifying Body called Istituto Parma Qualità arrive.
The officers check the ageing period from the registers and the seal on the ham and ensure that the hams have conformed to the processing procedures. They test each ham with the horse bone needle and issue a quality judgement based on the taste, colour and aroma.