It is one of the most famous national flags of made in Italy agri-food in the world and the defense of its quality is an investment in the future of consumption and exports. For this reason, the Consortium of Prosciutto di San Daniele has decided to adopt a new PDO production specification which defines much stricter parameters than the current ones and which concern, among other things, the pigs' feed, weight, curing, the salting.
To arrive at this result that raises the bar of quality guarantees of one of the Italian food excellences, we started two years ago with a long discussion initiated by the Consortium with all the players in the Prosciutto di San Daniele supply chain. And the result is today unique in the pork processing sector not only in Italy but internationally.
Consumers, animal welfare and brand protection are the three basic lines that inspired the new production specification which involves a sector that has a turnover of 330 million euros with a production of almost 2,8 million hams in 2018; which recorded stable growth in sales across the border, with an overall double-digit increase in exports (10%) to non-EU countries in the first six months of 2019, especially in Canada and Japan; and which is based on a production chain that includes 3.927 farms, 116 slaughterhouses and 31 factories.
The result of a tradition that has its roots between the XNUMXth and XNUMXth centuries BC. C. Prosciutto di San Daniele, aware of its historical, economic, social and productive importance, has given itself new rules concerning scientific aspects, some phases of the production process, animal welfare, labeling methods and the regulation of use of the consortium logo.
«Not only that - underlines the president of the Consortium, Giuseppe Villani - the pigs that will be able to enter the PDO circuit with only 4 allowed crossings have been genetically identified. The pig feed requirements have been defined (only noble cereals of Italian origin), and the minimum age requirement for pigs has been introduced. These are elements that represent solid points of reference for farmers for their pigs and which will make the San Daniele Dop ham supply chain make a leap in quality».
«The registry of piglets and the genetic database will enter into force immediately - adds the director of the Consortium, Mario Cichetti - It is a small reform from a regulatory point of view (only 8 articles) but a big one from the point of view of evolution of the supply chain. A passage that bears witness to how our system promptly reacted after a hiccup and laid the foundations for looking to the future with serenity».
For example, the introduction in the Regulations of a maximum weight of 17,5 kg and a minimum weight of 12,5 kg for fresh thighs used in the preparation of Prosciutto di San Daniele is new; equally new is the limit set for the weight of cured ham (maximum 12,5 kg, minimum 8,3 kg). The seasoning period is also updated, passing from 1 2 months to 400 days; the range of salt content is also restricted (not less than 4,3% and not more than 6%). As a prerequisite for compliance, the new Regulations more clearly spell out the genetic characteristics of pigs admitted to the PDO with an indication of the lists of suitable and unsuitable genetic types. This clarification has become necessary in the light of recent developments in the field of genomic research and has the objective of operating an ever more stringent control of all possible combinations for reproductive crossing, as well as specifying the prohibition of the use of unindicated genetic types in the Disciplinary. At the same time, a genetic database compiled directly by the MIPAAF was introduced for a more effective control action with anti-fraud and anti-counterfeiting purposes of the genetic type.
The modification proposal, following the go-ahead from the Consortium Assembly and the Supply Chain Management Commission, has already received official approval from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia Region and has been published in the Official Gazette of the Italian Republic by of the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies (GU General Series n.299 of 21 -12-2019). The last step is expected in the European Commission for approval and publication in the relevant Official Journal of the European Union.
The production of Prosciutto di San Daniele DOP in 2019 is approximately 2.600.000 legs sent for processing. The production of pre-sliced in trays recorded very positive indicators, with over 21,2 million certified trays, slightly down on the previous year, equal to 380.769 hams for a total of over 1.812.000 kg. Pre-sliced meat was therefore reconfirmed as the best performing sales trend for Prosciutto di San Daniele, perfectly in line with new lifestyles and new ways of consuming, which increasingly favor ready-to-eat products.
Prosciutto di San Daniele cured raw ham, recognized as a Denomination of Origin product by the Italian State since 1970, is produced by the 31 companies belonging to the Consortium, only and exclusively in San Daniele del Friuli: a municipality in the province of Udine that measures approximately 35 km8 and has just over 252 inhabitants. San Daniele rises in the center of Friuli Venezia Giulia in the so-called "Morainic Amphitheater", on the foothills of the Prealps at XNUMX meters above sea level.
Here you meet the cold winds that descend from the Carnic Alps and the warm and brackish breeze from the Adriatic, while the course of the Tagliamento river that laps the hill acts as a natural thermoregulator. All this creates the optimal conditions for the seasoning: an ideal microclimate which allows the meat to be perfectly preserved exclusively thanks to the sea salt and without the use of any additives.
To make Prosciutto di San Daniele only three ingredients are needed: selected Italian pork legs, sea salt and the particular microclimate of San Daniele. No additives or preservatives are used. The production process has remained unchanged over the centuries; the introduction of technology was limited only to the improvement in the organization and handling of the product inside the ham factories. Due to its high nutritional value and its easy digestibility, guaranteed by a maturation of not less than 13 months, Prosciutto di San Daniele is indicated in any diet, ideal for the diet of sportsmen, children, the elderly and also for those low-calorie. For the
its natural characteristics, in fact, is a product highly recommended by nutritionists within food programs that help the body stay healthy. Furthermore, it is an excellent source of noble and high quality proteins, vitamins and minerals. In terms of macronutrients, in fact, the composition of Prosciutto di San Daniele is mainly protein. The proteins of San Daniele, of high biological quality, are characterized by rapid digestibility, as during the maturation processes the enzymes already operate a sort of pre-digestion.
As far as micronutrients are concerned, the content in vitamins is relevant, especially those of group B (in particular vitamins B1, B2 and B3), important for carbohydrate metabolism, for cellular respiration and for the synthesis and demolition of amino acids , fatty acids and cholesterol.
Also essential is the presence of mineral salts such as iron, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, copper and zinc, defined as "trace elements" whose intake in minimal doses is essential for the proper functioning of the whole organism.
