# Is long ageing of cured ham producing value added? The learning processes of the producers of Corsican prisuttu

Casabianca, F. and Maestrini, O.

Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique. Laboratoire de Recherches sur le Développement de l'Elevage. Corte. France.

## ADDITIONAL KEYWORDS

Dry cured ham.

PDO.

Corsica.

Long ageing.

Up-market.

## SUMMARY

Among meat products of Corsican pig production benefiting recently of a PDO, the prisuttu (dry cured ham) leads to the main value production stakes. Such changes imply that the prisuttu can't be no more sold in the year as a long ageing is able to express its aromatic potential. How producers cope with these new perspectives and what are the main difficulties they are facing? We made an enquiry with a sample of 21 producers of the Corsican mountain area showing a large diversity of situations. Questions concerned the selection of animals, the characteristics of the green hams, the processing and the ageing, the marketing activity. The results obtained show several changes compared to the previous period. Pig rearing is partially in compliance with the code of practices of the PDO. Selection of the carcasses shows a priority for the heavier ones for producing prisuttu. Enlarging the ageing is progressively obtained according to the demand for this type of product. Marketing modalities changed a lot, with less pieces and more cutting sold, together with the search of fairs and local markets, and prices doubled or more. Main difficulties faced in recent years concern the standardization of the plants, implementation of traceability and search for new marketing circuit for ensuring high level of price. The transition toward an up-market orientation is partially observed and the expected dynamics thanks to PDO are not yet real. It lacks a strategic reflection for helping the producers to invest in the chains where their efforts on animals, processing an ageing could be better valorised.

## L'affinage long des jambons secs produit-il de la valeur ajoutée? Les apprentissages des producteurs de prisuttu corse

## RÉSUMÉ

Parmi les produits porcins corses bénéficiant récemment d'une AOP, le prisuttu (jambon sec) représente la plus forte valeur ajoutée. L'AOP exige que le prisuttu ait plus d'un an pour exprimer son potentiel. Comment intégrer ces perspectives et quelles difficultés rencontrées? Nous avons mené une enquête auprès d'un échantillon de 21 producteurs représentatif de la diversité des situations. Les questions concernent le choix des animaux, les jambons frais, la transformation et l'affinage, la mise en marché. Les résultats montrent une évolution sensible dans la période récente. Les porcs sont partiellement élevés selon le cahier des charges de l'AOP. La sélection des carcasses privilégie les plus lourdes pour produire le prisuttu. La durée d'affinage augmente progressivement selon la demande. Les modalités de mise en marché montrent plus de coupe et de tranchage, et l'exploration des foires et marchés, pour un doublement des prix, voire davantage. Les difficultés rencontrées sont la mise aux normes des ateliers, la traçabilité et la recherche de nouveaux circuits pour hausser les prix de vente. La transition vers le marché du haut de gamme n'est que partielle et les dynamiques espérées du fait de l'AOP se font attendre. Il manque une réflexion stratégique qui aiderait les producteurs à investir afin de mieux valoriser leurs efforts sur les animaux, la transformation et l'affinage.

## MOTS-CLÉS SUPPLÉMENTAIRES

Jambon sec.

AOP.

Corse.

Affinage long.

Haut de gamme.

## INFORMATION

Cronología del artículo.

Recibido/Received: 15.01.2017

Aceptado/Accepted: 30.06.2017

On-line: 15.01.2018

Correspondencia a los autores/Contact e-mail:

francois.charrier@inra.fr

## INTRODUCTION

The main features of the local context of pig production in Corsica are well known: smallholders rearing their animals in sylvo-pastoral systems with *Nustra*-

le pig breed (a local Mediterranean breed with slow growing and high adiposity). The animals to be slaughtered in winter are pasturing chestnuts and accorns in the forests during the finishing period in autumn (Molenat & Casabianca, 1979). Deriving from the ancient
rural structures, breeders are also processors mainly in on-farm processing and direct selling (Casabianca et al., 1994), with a lot of informal activity (including on-farm slaughtering) (Gabbriellini, 2011).

Among the meat products of Corsican pig produc-
tion benefiting recently of a Protected Designation of
Origin (PDO), the *prisuttu* (dry cured ham) leads to
the main value added production stakes. During the
previous periods, producers used to sell the hams after
a short ageing (less than 1 year). Within a year, the pig
was slaughtered and the hams were sold. Such short
process led to choose only the lighter green hams to be
processed into dry cured hams in order to speed up the
whole process. And the heavy green hams were debo-
ned and the meat was processed into sausages whose
reduced ageing allowed short term income (Coutron-
Gambotti et al. 1999a).

When preparing the PDO specification, a large de-
bate among the producers focussed on the type of
local resource to be included (Casabianca & Matassino,
2006). On-farm consumption product was considered
as a reference for the traditional specialty product. As
a matter of fact, the producers still had some pieces
with long ageing (more than 1 year) for ensuring high
level of aromatic compounds for some special family
occasions (for example bedding banquet). They deci-
ded that long ageing was fitting better the expectations
for the future PDO typical product than a short ageing
even being the current practice. In the same period,
as research unit, we established new references for
reducing salt content that stimulate both lipolysis and
proteolysis (and not only lipolysis when the ham is too
much salted), giving the possibility to obtain a more
typical *prisuttu* (Coutron-Gambotti et al. 1999b).

The challenge addressed by our study was to con-
sider that the PDO implies a lot of changes and, by the
way, the Corsican producers are engaged into a tran-
sition process. A strong shift from a domestic product
embedded in the rural habits toward an up-market
food in search of customers willing to pay high prices.
Producers must undergo a strong learning process in a
very short period of time. Such a transition is facing a
set of obstacles and brakes which we decided to study.
Our main questions were: How producers cope with
these new perspectives induced by the PDO? And
what are the main difficulties they face?

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A sample of 21 producers of the Corsican mountain
area has been interviewed. These producers originate
from several traditional areas in Corsica, and we tried
to gather the largest diversity within the sample in
order to represent the variety of situations we can
observe in the whole region. We used the typology
proposed by Relun et al. (2015) that allows to take
into account the various ways to rear the pigs and to
manage their breeding. Our sampling is covering all
the types, with most farmers inside the PDO and some
outside, from the most controlled management to the
most extensive one.

All along 2015 and early 2016, semi-directive ques-
tionnaire has been managed by us, focussing on all the
changes induced by long ageing of hams.

Questions concerned the 4 following themes:

The selection of animals for producing *prisuttu*, genotypes (*nustrale* breed) and modes of rearing being compulsory for the PDO.

The characteristics of the green hams, long ageing
requiring heavy carcasses to be implemented.

The process and the ageing of hams, in particular
the modalities of salting and the use of fridge, and the
control of hams during the ageing.

And the marketing activity, the presentations of
the product, the occasions for selling, and the use of
particular brands (PDO and/or own brand).

We mixed both multiple-choices questions with
open questions in order to implement a comprehensive
approach about the main difficulties confronted by the
producers and the perspectives they envisage for their
activity.

RESULTS

PIGS AND GREEN HAMS (TABLE I)

The local breed is now mandatory in PDO specifi-
cation. Even if our sample still shows a great diversity,
we observe that the *Nustrale* pig breed became more
frequent in the production units of Corsica during the
last ten years.

Concerning the slaughtering practices, the situation
seems excellent with quite all the producers declaring
the use of official slaughterhouses. But in reality, as the
on-farm slaughtering is illegal, a lot of farmers practice
this informal activity for a fraction of their animals, but
they don't declare it.

As shown by the increasing weight of the green
hams, the conditions for a long ageing seem to be more
frequent.

The same observation can be made for the pH mea-
surement. The distribution of pH meters within the
Corsican producers increased a lot during the recent

<caption>**Table I.** Answers on pigs and green hams (number of farmers giving the answer) (Réponses sur les porcs et les jambons verts (nombre d'agriculteurs donnant la réponse).</caption>

**The use of Nustrale pig breed**
Pure breed = 13, both types = 4, selected exotic breed or cross-bred = 4

**The use of official slaughterhouses**
Exclusive use declared by the farmers = 19, both on-farm and slaughterhouse = 2

**The weight of green hams**
Increasing weight = 12, selecting the heavier green hams = 6, no change = 3

**Measuring pH before salting**
Yes = 17, no = 4
period. This new practice is important for ensuring the right evolution of the green hams.

## PROCESSING AND AGEING (TABLE II)

The capacity of the farmers to invest in modern plants seems quite good. Farmers realized that such investment was a necessity for improving their possibility to produce high level products.

Controlling the quantity of salt captured by the green hams by the use of cells and/or short salting increased a lot during the period.

Within the last 20 years, the major part of the producers enlarged the period of production, being part of the PDO or not. The new reference for the dry cured ham in Corsica changed dramatically.

A majority of the producers try to monitor the evolution of their pieces, using horse bones at early stages for some or only at the selling moment for others. Such a practice is totally new.

<table><caption>**Table II.** Answers on processing and ageing (number of farmers giving the answer) (Réponses sur le traitement et le vieillissement (nombre d'agriculteurs donnant la réponse).</caption><tr><td><strong>The plants standardisation</strong></td><td>New investment = 17, hired = 1, no change = 3</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Cells for controlled salting and/or short salting</strong></td><td>Yes = 17, no change = 4</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Aging the hams more than 1 year</strong></td><td>Yes = 16, no = 5</td></tr><tr><td><strong>Use of ham checking</strong></td><td>Along the elaboration = 5, when selling = 13, never = 3</td></tr></table>

## MARKETING CURED PRISUTTI (TABLE III)

The ancient way to sell the entire pieces is still used by all the producers, testifying that this presentation is remaining very frequent. But two third of our sample is combining the presentation in pieces with cuts or slices, representing an important change for the producers. And more than half of our sample is using the vacuum machine giving the possibility to enlarge the consumption of their cuts or slices.

The ancient way of on-farm selling for marketing their products is remaining very frequently. But, at the same time of direct selling, a great part of our sample is marketing with at least one mediator between them and the final consumer. However, Corsica being an island, the possibility to market outside of the island supposes to receive an official authorization and only few of the producers obtained this costly paper (increased requirements).

As ancient prices were from 10 to 15 €/Kg, observed current prices are from 28 € up to 150 €/Kg. So, the prices have doubled or more for all the farmers, some of them having very high prices.

In our sample, PDO concerns a majority of the producers, that is not the real proportion in the region (our sample is dedicated to prisutti and the farmers selling

<table><caption>**Table III.** Answers on marketing cured prisutti (number of farmers giving the answer) (Réponses sur le marketing prisutti guéri (nombre d'agriculteurs donnant la réponse).</caption><tr><td><strong>The presentation of the hams</strong></td><td>Selling the whole pieces: Yes = 21, no = 0<br>Selling after cutting or slicing: Yes = 14, no = 7<br>Selling under vacuum: Yes = 12, no = 9</td></tr><tr><td><strong>The marketing practices</strong></td><td>Selling on-farm or neighbouring: Yes = 21, no = 0<br>Selling in shops: Yes = 17, no = 4<br>Selling outside of the region: Yes = 3, no = 18</td></tr><tr><td><strong>The ham prices</strong></td><td>Less than 50 € = 8, From 50 to 100 € = 9, More than 100 € = 4 (only sliced)</td></tr><tr><td><strong>The use of brands</strong></td><td>Using only PDO = 7, Both PDO and Organic = 1, Partly PDO = 7, No PDO = 6 (1 left)<br>Use of own trademark: Yes = 4, no = 17</td></tr></table>

this product are in majority belonging to the PDO body). But official farmers using both pig identification and legal slaughterhouses are mainly PDO producers. Just a few producers have their own brand, with PDO (for 3) or without (for 1).

## DISCUSSION

### SOME MAJOR CHANGES, BUT ALSO SOME ANCIENT TRAITS REMAINING

Choosing the heavier green hams for processing, and deboning the small ones for processing the meat into sausages became frequent practice while it was the contrary 20 years ago. We observed an increase in the age of the marketed hams, and some units are reaching 2 years old as « reserve » for their top products. So long ageing of the hams has become now a frequent practice.

At the same time, selling the whole piece (and lower prices) to the final consumer is becoming less frequent. But we see that a large proportion of the producers is combining both systems, the new one (cuts, slices, under vacuum) and the ancient one (whole piece).

Similarly, the genotypes can be the *Nustrale* breed for the whole herd or only for a fraction, some producers having a double herd (one with *Nustrale* and another with crossbred animals). The same is observed for the slaughtering (using both on-farm illegal and official slaughterhouse), the branding and the marketing leading the producers to adopt partially the new practices.

So, the evolutions observed are only partial and the expected dynamics due to PDO are not yet spread among all the producers.

### MAIN DIFFICULTIES FACED WHEN INCREASING THE AGEING

A large fraction of the producers already chooses the right raw material and uses the right process of salting. They monitor the evolution of the hams and they fill the documents for traceability, they invested in standardisation of the plants. We can see that they
are able to wait for a long time to have some income
without expressing any difficulty.

Long aged cured hams need to find new clients and
the producers are exploring tourists or local people in
search of high quality with new presentations or shops.
It seems easier to wait for tourists than to export the
products.

ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS CONCERNING VALUE-ADDED AND LONG AGEING

We made a typology of producers according to the
prices of sold hams and the answers to our questions.
in order to find out the conditions associated to the
prices. We found 3 types:

- *High prices (sliced ham > 100 €).*

These 5 producers increased the weight of green
hams, prolonged the ageing (> 15 months), use pure
*Nustrale* breed, practice ham monitoring, exclusive use
of official slaughterhouses, standardised their plant,
cutting and slicing hams, they apply use of trade mark
or official brand.

- *Intermediate prices (sliced ham > 50 €).*

These 10 producers show incomplete combination
of the first set.

- *Low prices (sliced ham < 50 €, ham = 30 €).*

These 6 producers show short ageing (< 12 months),
low use of pHmeter, low use of *Nustrale* breed, irre-
gular use of official slaughterhouse, low presence of
standardised plant, no use of PDO.

ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS CONCERNING THE LEARNING PROCESSES

We observe that, more or less, the technical learning
processes are on the way. In particular, choosing the
raw material, changing the salting methods or chec-
king the manufacturing process. Similarly, the concrete
conditions of activities are improving. In particular, the
frequent use of official slaughterhouses, the standardi-
sation of processing plants and the traceability.

On the contrary, the marketing channels (whole
pieces, direct selling) are still embedded in the local
and ancient solutions. Exploring up-market channels
and searching for the relevant clients seems a more
challenging learning process.

CONCLUSION – TRANSITION NOT YET COMPLETED

PDO requirements lead to a kind of formalization
of the activities (Belletti et al. 2013). Identifying the
pigs, use of official slaughterhouses, investing in pro-
cessing plants, dealing with control implementation,
and paying taxes on income are inducing new costs.
Such costs could be compensated by high prices for
dry-cured hams.

But, even in the case of PDO products, some ar-
chaic traits continue to persist (Lambert-Derkimba
et al. 2011). The producers are maintaining ancient
practices because on-farm selling is very easy. Corsica
is a very touristic place and a demand for authentic

products is very high. Only some producers changed
the marketing channel with or without PDO, even
with E-market, valorising better the cured hams and
showing the way to other actors.

A strategic reflexion is still missing for helping the
producers to invest collectively in the chains where
their efforts on animals, and on processing and aged
*prisuttu* could be better valorised.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Authors want to thank all the producers willing to
answer to the questionnaire.

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