Parma Ham welcomes the European Court ruling on slicing and packaging pre-sliced

20/05/03

Parma, 20 May 2003 - The Consorzio del Prosciutto di Parma, the Italian trade association of 200 traditional producers, welcomes the European Court of Justice ruling today that Asda did breach EU rules by slicing and packaging pre-sliced Parma Ham outside the production region.

Stefano Fanti, MD of the Consorzio commented, `We're delighted at today's ruling! This is an important day for the 200 producers of Parma ham and all the owners of Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) products in Europe and their customers. It recognises that PDO owners can take measures to offer their customers the best guarantee of product quality and origin`.

`Control over the whole process`, continues Stefano Fanti, `including slicing and packaging, guarantees quality and authenticity. Last year we exported more than 6 million packets of pre-sliced Parma Ham to the U.K., each one supervised by independent inspectors and marked with the Consorzio's brand, the Parma Ducal Crown. The quality and consistency of the approved product is recognised by the British consumer with a 65% increase in sales in 3 years`.

In 1997, the Consorzio sought injunctions against Asda Stores Ltd. to restrain them from selling pre-sliced packets of prosciutto as 'Parma Ham', sliced outside the production region, unsupervised by those responsible for enforcing EU production regulations. Asda has since reverted to producing pre-sliced packets in the Parma region, and the Consorzio continues to protect the Parma name and reputation and the interests of the producers whose livelihood may be affected by the outcome.

The case only refers to pre-sliced packets of Parma Ham. The Consorzio has never sought to prevent Asda or any other retailer from slicing Parma Ham on the delicatessen counter where customers can check that the ham that they buy is authentic.

The designation of origin, 'Parma Ham', is protected under EU law. There are more than 570 Protected Denominations of Origin (PDO) in the EU including Scottish beef and Stilton cheese. The EU legislation protects producers against misuse and imitation and gives consumers information about the products'. Last month a modification of Regulation 2081, on the protection of Geographical Indications, was adopted by the EU Agriculture Council. A key element is the right for GI owners to prepare and package their products in the area of production to protect the quality, traceability and control of GI products.

The Parma ham PDO guarantees its authenticity to the consumer. Independent inspectors, 'Instituto Parma Qualita' (IPQ), check the ham conforms to strict production standards. Parma hams are branded with a Ducal Crown by the IPQ so consumers know it is the genuine product. To protect customers when buying pre-sliced packets, parallel pre-slicing controls were introduced. Only IPQ inspected packets can carry the Ducal Crown and the name Parma ham on the packaging. The PDO specifies that to guarantee the origin and quality of Parma ham in pre-sliced packets, slicing and packaging must take place in the production area supervised by the IPQ.

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