Prosciutto di Parma

Prosciutto di Parma that has been inspected and branded

Introduction

Region of Emilia-Romagna in Italy

Prosciutto di Parma is described as an air-cured, Italian ham without any additives or hormones produced in the Emilia-Romagna region. ‘Prosciutto’ is from the Latin word ‘perexsuctum’ meaning ‘dried’ and ‘Parma’ is a city in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy.

The production of prosciutto in Parma dates back to the Etruscan period when the people used salt to preserve meats. Around 100BC, a historian, Cato the Censor, was first to document the flavour of these hams. Traditionally, prosciutto is prepared by leaving the pig’s legs to dry, greased with oil, and aged without spoiling.

In recent years, the identity of Parma ham strengthened. In 1963, Prosciutto di Parma was officially recognized for having a clear geographical identity. In 1996, Prosciutto di Parma obtained the European Union Protected Designation of Origin (PDO/DOP), which enforces product to be manufactured within a specific designated region and the product to be held to a certain standard. Currently, there are only about 150 certified producers in the world.

Food Identity in Canada

According to the Canadian Standards of Identity regulated by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), Prosciutto di Parma is identified as a ham product, meaning that it comes from the hind leg of a swine carcass with the mandatory processes of being comminuted, cured and cooked.

For two decades, there has been a legal dispute over the name “Parma,” as the Canadian company, Maple Leaf Foods, used their trademark registration number to prevent Italian exporters from using “Parma” to describe their hams in Canada. However, in 2018, the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA) between the European Union and Canada allowed both Prosciutto di Parma and Maple Leaf's "Parma" brands to coexist.

Production Process

Addition of sea salt by the maestro salatore (salt master)

The breed of pigs used are Large White, Landrace and Duroc. The legs (around 15 kg each) are received from an authorized slaughterhouse on a weekly basis.

1) Tagging

The hind legs of pigs are shipped to a prosciutto processing plant called prosciuttificio. They are tagged with a button to indicate the curing start date.

2) Salting

As the only ingredient added to the pork, the highly trained maestro salatore (salt master) salts the leg by hand. The skin is salted with sea salt and the muscular regions are salted with dry salt.  After a week of refrigeration at a temperature ranging from 34℉ to 39℉ and 80% humidity, the leg is salted a second time which is left on for 15 to 18 days depending on the weight of the leg. No chemical elements are allowed as preservatives, only salt is allowed.

Aside from its contribution to concentrating the flavour, the salt acts as a preservative by lowering the water activity and thus allowing lactic acid bacteria to colonize and acidify the food.

3) Resting and Absorption

In a refrigerated and humidity-controlled room, the hams are hung for 60 to 90 days to allow the salt to be absorbed into the meat. The meat will darken a little.

4) Washing

The legs are washed with warm water to remove any excess salt and are left to hang dry for a few days.

5) Initial Curing 

The legs are hung in a ventilated room with windows that can be opened for favourable temperature and humidity to achieve gradual drying. This phase is very important to achieve the ham’s distinctive flavour. After 3 months, the surface of the meat should be hard and dry.

6) Lard Layering

The mixture of lard, salt and pepper is used to soften the exterior of the ham which prevents the surface layers from drying rapidly.

7) Final Curing

After the 7th month, in a cellar with less air and light, the ham is hung on a rack until curing is finished. Prosciutto di Parma must be cured for a minimum of 400 days by law starting from the day it was first salted. Some are cured for as long as 3 years.

Prosciutto di Parma branded with the five-point "Ducal Crown" symbol to guarantee that the quality requirments are met.

8) Inspection

Independent inspectors will pierce the ham in many locations with a horse bone needle, which absorbs and releases scents quickly for reuse. They sniff the needle between each puncture to check for any odour indicating spoilage or quality defects.

9) Branding

Once all inspections are passed, the legs are branded by the independent inspector as a guarantee of quality. The prosciutto di parma is now ready for sale and for exportation from Italy to other countries. In Canada, it can be found in many national chains such as Whole Foods. Prosciutto di Parma’s importation, long production time, inspections and lack of additives and hormones contributes to its higher price tag relative to other cured meat products.

Sensory properties

Thin slices of Prosciutto di Parma

Compared to the typical salty taste of prosciutto, di Parma has a mild sweet-salty profile, and can be further garnished with nuttery or buttery overtones to compliment the sweet-salty combo. Since di Parma is produced around the hills of Parma, where the dry air infused with aromatic breezes from the Apennine Mountains creates a unique flagrant aroma with hints of nuttiness and saltiness.

The texture of well-cured prosciutto should be fine grain and velvety to the point that it disintegrates in the mouth without heavy chewing. Improper curing techniques or spoilage may cause the texture to become chewy or rubbery.

Di Parma is roundish and contains no foot. It is usually served in thin slices that are cut to a thickness of 1mm. The lean part of the slice is pink while the fat is white. As di Parma contains more protein than other types of prosciutto, it contains a higher proportion of pink meat.

Storage and Packaging

Proper storage should be considered to preserve the flavours of Prosciutto di Parma. Regardless of bone-in or boneless leg, Parma ham should be refrigerated immediately in its original package. A boneless Prosciutto di Parma can be stored in its vacuum seal for up to 12 months, if refrigerated at 40℉ to 42℉. Lorenzo Tedeschi, an italian producer of prosciutto, says to keep the meat refrigerated with a max temperature of 44℉ and to keep it away from cheese and light. Upon breaking the vacuum seal and slicing, Parma ham can be held under refrigeration for up to 40 days. In contrast, pre-sliced, pre-packaged prosciutto should last about two to three months when unopened and refrigerated. However, once the package is opened, it should be finished within one to two days as the prosciutto is very thinly sliced so it is more susceptible to moisture loss.

Moreover, freezing prosciutto is not recommended. By freezing and subsequent thawing, the expanded moisture within the prosciutto dissipates causing the ham to become soft and losing its flavour.

Nutrition and Health Effects

The consumption of Prosciutto may have positive and negative health effects. Prosciutto is high in sodium content, with around 600mg of sodium per ounce (about 2 slices) on average. According to Health Canada, the daily recommended sodium intake for a person aged 14 or older is 2,300mg and every ounce of prosciutto consumed accounts for about 26% of one’s daily intake. Anything above 2300mg may increase the risk of heart attack, high blood pressure and stroke. Additionally, prosciutto is relatively high on fat content. An ounce of prosciutto contains on average 3.5g of fat with 1g of it being saturated fat. Saturated fat negatively impacts the health of the heart and increases “bad” cholesterol levels. On the other hand, there are health benefits from prosciutto. As it is a meat, there is a good source of protein (about 8g) and various vitamins and minerals such as iron and thiamine. Furthermore, prosciutto’s main fatty acid is oleic acid which is actually a “heart friendly” fat. Research suggests that the moderate consumption of air-cured ham contributes to a balanced diet for many population. The research also suggests that consuming these products in appropriate portions and appropriate frequencies may eliminate/reduce the risk of any negative health impacts from the products.

Additional External Links

• A video that summarizes Prosciutto di Parma's production process
• An article about the biochemistry of dry-cured ham quality
• Prosciutto di Parma recipes

Potential Exam Question

Salting is one of the many processes to produce cured meats such as Prosciutto di Parma. Select the function(s) of salt during this process:

a) Lowering the water activity to slow/inhibit the growth of certain pathogens and spoilage causing organisms

b) Increases the water activity to slow/inhibit the growth of certain pathogens and spoilage causing organisms

c) Concentrating the flavor

d) Allows for the growth of lactic acid producing bacteria to acidify the food

e) Inhibits the growth of lactic acid producing bacteria to acidify the food

Answer: a,c,d

Explanation as to why FNH 200 students should know this question:

Salt is arguably the most important ingredient in cured meats due to its flavouring properties. After doing research on our topic, we learned that there are other roles of salt during the salting process including binding to a substantial amount of water which slows/inhibits the growth of certain pathogens and spoilage causing organisms, giving time for lactic acid producing bacteria to grow and lower the foods pH which further slows/inhibits their growth. Thus, we wanted to create a question surrounding our discovery. This question should be on the final exam because it is a great real life example of a lot of lessons learned in FNH 200, such as water activity in Lesson 2, flavour in Lesson 3, food preservation in Lesson 5, and lactic acid in Lesson 9.