PRODUCTION CHAIN TRACEABILITY

Transparency is at the heart of the activity of the Consortium providing all consumers with information on the San Daniele Prosciutto production process.

The digitalised traceability system is transmitted to the consumer through the application of a unique QR code on each tray of pre-sliced prosciutto, containing a set of information on each phase of the production process implemented in prosciutto facilities; it also confirms PDO product authenticity, in real time.

The independent supervisory body IFCQ Certificazioni is the third-party body tasked with verifying and certifying consistent application of Production Specifications by all production chain actors, and the prosciutto PDO.

The Consortium has implemented two specific actions in this field:

• Tray traceability. In June 2019, the Consortium finalised a digital traceability system that is applied to each pre-sliced tray of prosciutto. This easy-to-use and immediate tool can be used by consumers to obtain key information on the product and the series of production phases, right up to slicing. A unique QR code is added to each tray and can be read using a smartphone. It guarantees consumer transparency on San Daniele prosciutto production information and enables supervisory and monitoring bodies to access additional product information. 35,774 unique codes have been scanned since the tracking system’s implementation in 2019, to January 2024. A monthly average of 750 unique codes has been established since 2023. 70% of requests come from Italy and the remaining 30% from other countries, highlighting significant use abroad too.
  PACKAGE TRACKING
  
• Pork thigh traceability. January 2022 marked the successful conclusion of the pilot phase of an innovative system based on RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology, undertaken to further improve the traceability system. This new method enables the unequivocal identification of each pork thigh, tracking it from slaughterhouse to prosciutto production facility.  The medium-term aim is to implement the system with the aim of monitoring an increasingly extensive portion of the production chain, broadening verification to include phases prior to entry in prosciutto production facilities.