“Concepts such as the supply chain and value chain become elements of strength and sharing within the production system and, therefore, are also an asset for the community as a whole, always grounded in its historical traditions but with a keen eye on the future.”.
Letter to stakeholders, Sustainability document
The efforts and passion on the part of all of the stakeholders in our value chain result in a valuable production system in which farmers, abattoirs and producers share a strong determination to actively improve and innovate for a sustainable future, for nature and consumers’ health.
Our value chain is:
Rigorous: because each production process is guided by the strict rules outlined in the PDO Production Specifications and certified by independent external inspections.
Transparent and accessible because we have introduced digital traceability systems that provide information that guarantees the origin of the raw material at every stage of the processing procedure, right up to the application of the certified PDO branding.
Certified: because independent control body IFCQ Certificazioni Srl certifies the activities to which the Production Specifications apply. The work of IFCQ is monitored by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies and accredited by Accredia, the National Accreditation Authority designated by the Italian government.
Livestock farming
Breeders operate in accordance with the Production Specifications and are responsible for the animal welfare, from its birth to growth, for at least nine months.
Abbattoirs
The abattoir is responsible for checking that the animals received come from farms belonging to the PDO network. The carcasses are then assessed, classified and dissected according to the strict standards outlined in the PDO Product Specifications and the fresh legs of pork sent to the prosciutto production plant, on average within 48 hours of butchering.
Prosciutto production plants
All aspects of processing take place exclusively within the 31 prosciutto production plants belonging to the Consortium and located within the municipality of San Daniele del Friuli. The fresh pork legs are delivered from the abattoir directly to the production plant and are subjected to preliminary compliance checks to ensure that they come from authorised abattoirs. Only legs of pork that pass this stage then begin the preparation and curing process, which lasts a minimum of thirteen months.
The application of the Production Specifications is certified by the independent control body IFCQ Certificazioni, which is itself supervised by the Ministry of Agricultural, Food and Forestry Policies. This body also performs certain checks to ensure that the pork legs in question meet the requirements of the Production Specifications and certifies only those that meet all of the criteria, branding them on the rind with the certified PDO. This includes the producer’s identification code and serves as both evidence of certification and a guarantee.
Slicing and packaging facilities
The Prosciutto di San Daniele is commercialized whole on or off the bone, in slices and sliced in packets. This final processing stage takes place exclusively within the 9 slicing and packaging facilities also located within the municipality of San Daniele del Friuli and under the strict supervision of the control body IFCQ Certificazioni.
Sale and distribution
The San Daniele PDO prosciutto is then ready to be distributed and sold, in its various forms, both within Italy and abroad. The product is destined for the catering and modern organised distribution sectors, as well as traditional retail outlets, right up to the consumer’s plate.
