Jamón Serrano 

February 12, 2012 - La Fundación del Jamón Serrano Español closed the 2011 fiscal year with an 8.7% increase in trade volume for products bearing the FUNDACIÓN label as compared to the previous year, which means that our member companies sold an equivalent of 2.5 million pieces from our various categories in all formats.

Growth was registered for sliced ham and portions (+7.1%), which, in line with recent trends in the food and drink market, have shown the greatest increase over the past years. Whole ham sales also surmounted a trend towards stabilization with a +12.4% increase. The upward trend was registered in both product categories: Reserva (minimum 12 months' curing) and Gran Reserva (15+ months' curing).

These are very positive figures after two exceptionally difficult years in 2009 and 2010, when an overall downturn in consumption, both in and outside the home, greatly affected sales of all types of cured hams. Last year's positive figures allow FUNDACIÓN member companies to face 2012 with greater optimism, both in the domestic and overseas markets.

The Board of Trustees Studied the Strategy for 2012

The FUNDACIÓN DEL JAMÓN SERRANO ESPAÑOL Board of Trustees analyzed the results from the 2011 fiscal year and approved the strategy for 2012 for promotion and communication, internationalization, institutional relations, quality control and sector studies.

The trustees likewise voiced support for the European Union to 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.

Obtaining a PGI would 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.

For brand and product promotion abroad, the Fundación studied the activities set for the 2012 campaign "Original Flavors: The Mediterranean Essence", a three-year plan for product promotion in Poland, Germany and Denmark, together with extra virgin olive oil from Baena and DO Ribera del Duero wines, subsidized by a grant from the Spanish Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment and the European Commission.

It was also agreed that the Fundación will participate in important food fairs in Europe and Asia, as well as 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).

For the Spanish market, this year's agenda will include a new series of campaigns at schools in various regions, training and information for wholesale workers, restaurant professionals and consumers, and slicing master classes and contests at catering and cooking schools.

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, encourage direct contact and feedback from consumers, obtain opinions and respond to questions on the consumption of Jamón Serrano.

The Jamón Serrano 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 Jamón Serrano, as well as an interpretation guide to new labeling legislation.