COMMUNICATION OF APPROVAL OF A STANDARD AMENDMENT

(Article 24 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143)

‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’

EU No: PDO-IT-0065-AM02 – 19.5.2025

1.   Name of product

‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’

2.   Geographical indication type

☒	Protected Designation of Origin (PDO)

☐	Protected Geographical Indication (PGI)

☐	Geographical Indication (GI)

3.   Sector

☒	Agricultural products

☐

Wines

☐	Spirit drinks

4.   Country to which the geographical area belongs

Italy

5.   Member State authority communicating the standard amendment

Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry – Department for Food Sovereignty and Equestrian Sports

6.   Qualification as standard amendment

The amendments to the product specification for Prosciutto di San Daniele PDO:

—	do not include a change in the name of the protected designation of origin or protected geographical indication, or in the use of that name;

—	do not risk voiding the link referred to in Article 5(1), point (b), for protected designations of origin, or the link;

—	referred to in Article 5(2), point (b), for protected geographical indications; and

—	do not entail further restrictions on the marketing of the product.

7.   Description of the approved standard amendment(s)

Amendment to Article 5

Amendment 1

The amendment concerns Article 5.3 of the product specification and point 3.3 of the single document.

Description: The amendment replaces the current maximum weight of an individual heavy pig carcass – 168,0 kg – with a new maximum weight of 180,0 kg.

Reason: The continued spread of African swine fever virus (ASF), together with the application of the recent production rules concerning pig rearing, particularly as regards genetic improvement and the improvement of husbandry practices, including feeding, have led to an increase in the pigs’ weight. However, the maximum weight of the legs of pork will remain at 17,5 kg, so that, at the end of the curing stage, the hams will have a maximum weight of 12,8 kg, which is one of the distinctive characteristics of Prosciutto di San Daniele PDO.

The amendment affects the single document.

SINGLE DOCUMENT

‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’

EU No: PDO-IT-0065-AM02 – 19.5.2025

PDO (X) PGI ( )

1.   Name(s) (of PDO or PGI)

‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’

2.   Member State or third country

Italy

3.   Description of the agricultural product or foodstuff

3.1.   Combined Nomenclature code

—	16 – PREPARATIONS OF MEAT, OF FISH, OF CRUSTACEANS, MOLLUSCS OR OTHER AQUATIC INVERTEBRATES, OR OF INSECTS

3.2.   Description of the product to which the name in (1) applies

‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ is a prosciutto crudo ham that has been salted and dry-cured for at least 400 days from the curing start date. ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ is characteristically guitar-shaped and includes the distal part of the leg (trotter). A whole bone-in ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ must not weigh less than 8,3 kg nor more than 12,8 kg. The meat is tender and the fat is white and is in the right proportion to the lean part, which is red and pink with some fat marbling. It has a delicate taste, with a well-balanced fullness of flavour and a more pronounced after-taste. It has a fragrant aroma of cured ham as a result of the lengthy curing time.

The physical and chemical characteristics of ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’, as tested on the biceps femoris before the ham is branded with the logo, are as follows:

1.	moisture content not less than 57,0 % or more than 63,0 %;

2.	salt content (sodium chloride) not less than 4,3 % or more than 6,0 %;

3.	proteolysis index not exceeding 31 %;

4.	water activity (aw) not exceeding 0,930.

‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ can be sold whole with the bone in or boneless, and it may also be cut into portions of varying shapes and weights. Regardless of format, the ham must have a logo branded onto the rind and/or another means of identification that ensures or guarantees that the raw material and hams are trackable and traceable.

‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ is also sold as pre-packaged sliced ham. For ham that is to be sliced and packaged, the minimum curing period is 430 days, moisture content is capped at 62,0 % and water activity (aw) cannot exceed 0,920.

3.3.   Feed (for products of animal origin only) and raw materials (for processed products only)

The pigs’ feed must originate in the geographical area in which they are reared. Some years, however, it might not be technically possible to obtain 100 % of feed materials locally for climate-related or commercial reasons, in which case the link with the local area must be guaranteed, in accordance with Article 1 of Regulation (EU) 2024/1143, by ensuring that at least 50 % of the pigs’ annual dry matter intake comes from the geographical area in which they are reared.

The feed can be administered in both liquid and dry form.

The diet fed to suckling piglets must consist of the raw materials permitted by current EU legislation on feeding livestock. The pigs’ diet may be supplemented with vitamins, minerals and amino acids, and additives may be used in accordance with current legislation.

The following raw materials are permitted at the grower stage: maize (up to 65 % of dry matter intake); sorghum, barley, wheat, triticale, maize grain meal and/or corn cob meal (up to 55 % of dry matter intake); minor cereals, peas (up to 25 % of dry matter intake); whole ear maize meal, wheat bran and other by-products of wheat processing, products obtained during extraction of soya beans (up to 20 % of dry matter intake); maize silage, maize gluten meal or corn gluten feed, dehydrated beet pulp, products obtained during extraction of sunflower seeds, rapeseed meal, other legume seeds, toasted whole soya beans and/or soya expeller (up to 10 % of dry matter intake); maize germ meal, molasses (up to 5 % of dry matter intake); lucerne (high temperature dried) (up to 4 % of dry matter intake); distillers’ dried grains and solubles (up to 3 % of dry matter intake); fruit pulp and tomato pulp (tomato pomace) as premix carriers, linseed expeller, linseed expeller feed, linseed meal, linseed meal feed, lipids with a melting point above 36 °C, yeast (up to 2 % of dry matter intake); fish meal (up to 1 % of dry matter intake); whey (up to 15 l per pig per day); and buttermilk (up to 250 g of dry matter intake per pig per day).

The following criteria must also be taken into account at the growing stage: the diet may be supplemented with vitamins and minerals, and additives may be used in accordance with current EU legislation; to ensure good-quality fat coverage, linoleic acid content is capped at 2 % of dry matter intake and fat is capped at 5 % of dry matter intake; and cereals must make up at least 45 % of overall dry matter intake.

The same rules for the growing stage also apply at the finishing stage, with the following exceptions: cereals must make up at least 55 % of overall dry matter intake and finishers may not be fed fish meal or toasted whole soya beans and/or soya expeller.

The legs of pork used in the production of ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ must come from carcasses classified under category ‘H’ (heavy) that weigh between a minimum of 110,1 kg and a maximum of 180 kg and fall within classes ‘U’, ‘R’, or ‘O’ on the European Union scale for the classification of pig carcasses. The legs must not weigh less than 11,8 kg or more than 18 kg, and those intended for non-EU countries that do not allow the trotter to be left on a leg of ham may not weigh less than 11,3 kg or more than 17,5 kg.

The legs of pork must be cut in accordance with the established standard in use and have an external fat layer that is at least 17 mm thick, including the rind. This fat must be sufficiently firm, i.e. with an iodine value of not more than 70 or a linoleic acid content not exceeding 15 %.

Legs from pigs with evident PSE or DFD myopathies or with obvious after-effects of previous inflammatory and traumatic conditions may not be used.

Legs from pigs slaughtered more than five days previously may not be processed into ham.

3.4.   Specific steps in production that must take place in the identified geographical area

All of the steps involved in making ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’, from trimming the fresh legs of pork until the completion of the drying process, must take place within the identified production area, which consists of the territory within the administrative boundaries of the municipality of San Daniele del Friuli in the province of Udine in the Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

3.5.   Specific rules concerning slicing, grating, packaging, etc. of the product the registered name refers to

In order to guarantee the authenticity of ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ sold as pre-packaged slices and thus protect consumers, slicing and packaging must take place within the geographical area of production.

This is necessary to guarantee the origin of the sliced pre-packaged product because sliced ham no longer has the identifying marks displayed on the rind of ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’. It also stems from the need to ensure that slicing and packaging are carried out in a manner that avoids dehydration, oxidation or any impairment of the original organoleptic characteristics of ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’. Slicing deprives the ham of the natural protection provided by the rind and leaves the product more exposed to the environment.

3.6.   Specific rules concerning labelling of the product the registered name refers to

‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ must have a logo branded onto the rind and/or another means of identification that ensures or guarantees that the raw material and hams are trackable and traceable.

The logo branded onto the hams is as follows:

The labelling of bone-in or boneless ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’, whether sold whole or cut into portions, must include the following details:

1.	‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ (in Italian), followed by the words Denominazione di Origine Protetta (protected designation of origin) or DOP (PDO);

2.	the company name or trademark and the address of the ham producer registered in the monitoring system which finalises the production process or markets the ham.

The packaging of sliced ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ must include ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ (in Italian) followed by the words Denominazione di Origine Protetta or DOP, the logo shown above, the identification number of the packer, and the identification, control and certification code of each individual package.

4.   Concise definition of the geographical area

‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ must be produced within the administrative boundaries of the municipality of San Daniele del Friuli in the province of Udine in the Autonomous Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia.

The pork used to make ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ must come from pigs that have been farrowed, reared and slaughtered and had their carcasses cut in the geographical area comprising the territory of the following regions: Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Veneto, Lombardy, Piedmont, Emilia-Romagna, Umbria, Tuscany, Marche, Abruzzo and Lazio.

5.   Link with the geographical area

5.1.   Specificity of the geographical area

The production area of ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ is the municipality of San Daniele del Friuli in central Friuli, along the river Tagliamento, beyond which rise the first foothills of the Carnic Prealps.

The area’s particular topography interacts with a wind pattern in which, along the course of the river Tagliamento, warm winds rising from the Adriatic Sea meet colder winds descending from the Alps, in a straight flow through the Canale del Ferro del Tarvisano. This creates a specific microclimate that ensures gentle air circulation and a low-humidity environment that is ideally suited to the prolonged dry-curing of ham.

5.2.   Specificity of the product

The fact that the ham retains the trotter is a characteristic feature of ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’, as is the logo branded onto the rind and/or the use of an alternative means of identification. Leaving the trotter on the leg helps to preserve the ham during processing and makes whole ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ immediately recognisable to consumers. In addition, the characteristic guitar shape, delicate taste with well-balanced fullness of flavour, and fragrant aroma of ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ are distinctive features and stem from the trimming and pressing of the legs, the addition of no other ingredients but sea salt at the start of the production process, and the long time for which the meat is hung to dry.

The legs of pork from the established pig-rearing area, obtained from the breeds specified in point 3, reared as specified in that same point, have meat coverage and flavour characteristics that make them naturally suited for making long-cured hams.

5.3.   Causal link between the geographical area and the quality or characteristics of the product

‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ owes its quality to the geographical area of production and its environmental and human characteristics. ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ gets its distinctive characteristics from the top-quality fat found in just the right amount in the ‘heavy pigs’ that are typical of the Po Valley. This fat coverage is guaranteed by genetic breed selection and by the climate of the geographical area in which the pigs are reared and from which the raw materials used to feed them are sourced.

The particular microclimate of the geographical area of production plays a role in the long curing period and helps to develop the flavour and aroma of ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’. Because of the local soil and climate conditions, production has always been exclusively centred on the municipality after which the ham was named, and the processing of legs of pork – which are traditionally sourced from the area described in point 4 – is performed by a highly skilled and specialised workforce.

Of vital importance is the experience of the ‘master curers’, who use the specific ham-making techniques passed down from generation to generation. They regulate the different parameters involved in the stages of ham-making depending on climate conditions and the characteristics of the legs of pork, using drying rooms with many windows in which they expose the hams to natural draughts which aid the gradual and prolonged dry-curing of ‘Prosciutto di San Daniele’ and help it to develop its characteristic aroma.

Reference to publication of the product specification

https://www.masaf.gov.it/flex/cm/pages/ServeAttachment.php/L/IT/D/1%252F2%252F0%252FD.d3f25c8b2fcb5bafac0b/P/BLOB%3AID%3D18907/E/pdf?mode=download

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(1)  Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/27 of 30 October 2024 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2024/1143 of the European Parliament and of the Council with rules concerning the registration and the protection of geographical indications, traditional specialities guaranteed and optional quality terms and repealing Delegated Regulation (EU) No 664/2014 (OJ L, 2025/27, 15.1.2025, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/reg_del/2025/27/oj).