The Junta of Andalucía and the Ministry of Agriculture have been  agreed to amend the Statement of the Iberian Quality, a claim of the  industry which has seen yields were reduced in recent years because of  the confusion among consumers has led to the previous regulations  2007. The Andalusian proposal, which has been agreed with industry  representatives, wants to simplify the current Iberian Quality  Standard and to reduce the two names by race and the feed of pigs, a  proposal that seeks above all to protect producers who use pasture to  raise their pigs.

Andalucía wants to assert its national weight, which concentrates 20%  of the Iberian Spanish census, and has negotiated with the Ministry a  proposal that clearly benefits ranching community over the interests  of other communities that have increased production raising their pigs  to feed.

Thus, the proposal submitted by the Minister of Agriculture, arises to  distinguish between Iberian when the product was obtained from pigs  whose parents are pure Iberian and Iberian cross when obtained from  animals with any type of crossing, but maintaining least 50% Iberian.

Production has fallen by 40% for consumer confusion.

As for feeding pigs, the Andalusian proposal also involves reducing  the two denominations. The first of them, the acorn, applicable to  products derived from pigs destined for slaughter immediately after  harvesting of the pasture by eating acorns, and the second name, bait,  for products obtained from animals whose feed supply is based on an  extensive diet. Another aspect in the proposal of Andalusia refers to  labeling and advertising of the Iberian products. It is proposed that  this has to be illustrative and therefore specify all classifications  in order, based on the quality and that each product is marked which  is responsible to it.

The producers had spent years claiming the urgent amendment of current  legislation. Specifically, the Andalusian Federation of Agricultural  Cooperative Enterprises (Faeca) it is doing it since the publication  of the standard 2001. Even then, he warned of the need to control the  labeling to differentiate products from intensive and extensive  livestock systems and Iberian pigs and crossed. “The post rule 2007  further complicated the situation, and the absence of effective  surveillance in Andalusia have caused a decline of almost 40% in the  production of Iberian pasture, in the last year,” stated from Faeca.

Andalusia concentrates 20% of the Iberian Spanish census.

Applauds Faeca therefore a new rule that protects only the Iberian pig  production requiring extensive and differentiate, through labeling, if  the products (ham, shoulder or loin) come from Iberian pigs or  crossed, fed acorn-based or feed, so that the consumer has all the  guarantees when you make your purchase. “The intention is to avoid  further cooperative marketing under the image of the pasture, animal  products bait (feed) reared in intensive systems, the costs of feeding  and management have a big difference,” stresses from Faeca.

Nowadays Andalusia has 461,479 of Iberian pig heads, representing 20%  of the Spanish census, a total of 4,900 pig farms extensively, mostly  in the mountains of Cordoba, Huelva and Seville.

However, the industrial bosses Iberian Iberaice, was disappointed by  the reform measures of the Quality Standard beef, ham, shoulder and  loin of the Iberian pig. Industrialists say, starting off the changes  announced, “this will lead one hand the disappearance of the Iberian  pig bait, which represents over 80% of the sector, and with it all a  productive and industrial high economic value and singular importance  in large parts of several communities, as well as the disappearance of  differentiation for the Iberian pure line of identity is also a part  of the industry. “

Tags bellota ham legislation, iberian ham legislation, pata negra ham legislation, serrano ham legislation, spanish ham legislation