Jamón Serrano 

La Fundación del Jamón Serrano Español has signed a collaboration agreement with the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Mexico (Quintana Roo Delegation) and the Riviera Maya Hotel Association to organize promotional activities for Spanish Jamón Serrano in this region, one of the areas with the greatest concentration of hotels and tourist resorts in Mexico. 

The agreement was signed by José Ramón Godoy, Secretary General of the Fundación, Jean Agarrista, Executive Vice-president of the Spanish Chamber of Commerce in Mexico (Quintana Roo Delegation), Haidee Pastrana, Representative of the Governor of the state of Quintana Roo, and representatives of the Riviera Maya Hotel Association and the Municipal Presidency of Solidaridad.

The agreement included two types of promotional and training activities. The first of these included showrooms with the participation of more than 150 representatives from the Public Administrations of Mexico; members of the press; food product import and distribution companies; hotel, restaurant and supermarket purchasing managers; and other persons of interest.

The training part of the campaign included three Serrano Ham slicing courses for hotel professionals in Quintana Roo, with the participation of Master Slicer Sergio Bellido.

The aim of this agreement is to maintain a positive relationship for training and communication with Mexican companies in order to introduce and consolidate the presence of Serrano Ham from the Fundación in the most important hotel and restaurant chains in the area, which has a well-established tourism sector and an enormous potential for consumption, as well as to encourage local importers to offer Serrano Ham among their products.

Fundación Activities in 2012

Activities at the Fundación del Jamón Serrano Español this year include plans for promotion and communication, internationalization, institutional relations, quality control and sector studies.

For brand and product promotion abroad, the Fundaciónis creating the "Original Flavors: The Mediterranean Essence" campaign, a three-year plan for product promotion together with extra virgin olive oil from Baena and DO Ribera del Duero wines in Poland, Germany and Denmark which will include seminars at culinary schools, workshops for chefs, Jamón Serrano slicing and tasting master classes, product tasting and pairing analysis.

The Fundación will also be participating at important food fairs in Europe and the Americas (e.g. Gastronord, Sial Mercosur, etc.), signing promotion and collaboration agreements (in Mexico) and participating in workshops, showrooms and seminars on Spanish diet and gastronomy, in collaboration with the Spanish Meat Export Office (OECE), the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the Spanish Food and Drink Industry Federation (FIAB).

Through their website, the Fundación will also continue to provide consumer information on nutrition, health and gastronomy, as well as on recognizing and differentiating Jamón Serrano. Initiatives include a short video contest, among others, to stimulate interest in Jamón Serrano through new technologies, viral marketing and social networks and to encourage direct contact and feedback from consumers.

Another aim of the Fundación is to have the European Union establish a Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) for Spanish Jamón Serrano. PGI is a quality designation which would provide a significant boost to the support and promotion of our product in the international sphere, protect the designation from potential initiatives from other countries, establish exclusivity for production in Spanish territory, strengthen the prestige of our product and differentiate it from others, and provide easier access to community funds for product promotion.

The Serrano Ham quality control policy will also remain in place, both in manufacturing centers and retail outlets in Spain and abroad through own inspections in order to further improve quality and differentiation and increase product guarantee for the consumer. The Fundación will likewise continue to participate in scientific and technical studies of interest for the sector, including the finalization of research on the shelf life of different product formats and studies on the prevalence of toxoplasma in Serrano Ham, as well as an interpretation guide to new labelling legislation.