The acronym PDO (Protected Declaration of Origin) is a recognized trademark assigned to agricultural and food products for which the production phases are all localised in a specific geographic area, and whose production process complies with well-defined and identified production regulations and traditional recipes.

The characteristic features of PDO products are essentially or exclusively due to geographic, natural and human factors.

The Italian cured meats with a PDO trademark are:

1.      Prosciutto di Parma (Parma ham)

2.      Prosciutto di San Daniele (San Daniele ham)

3.      Prosciutto di Modena (Modena Ham)

4.      Prosciutto Veneto Berico-Euganeo (Veneto Berico-Euganeo ham)

5.      Prosciutto di Carpegna (Carpegna ham)

6.      Prosciutto Toscano (Tuscan ham)

7.      Salame di Varzi (Varzi salami)

8.      Salame Brianza (salami from Brianza)

9.      Salame Piacentino (salami from Piacenze)

10.  Culatello di Zibello

11.  Jambon de Bosses (Aosta Valley)

12.  Lard d'Arnad (Aosta Valley)

13.  Coppa Piacentina (coppa from Piacenza)

14.  Pancetta Piacentina (Pancetta from Piacenza)

15.  Soppressata di Calabria (soppressata from Calabria)

16.  Capocollo di Calabria (capocollo from Calabria)

17.  Salsiccia di Calabria (sausage from Calabria)

18.  Pancetta di Calabria (pancetta from Calabria)

19.  Salamini Italiani alla Cacciatora (Italian bite-sized salami Chasseur)

The acronym PGI (Protected Geographic Indication) represents a level of quality protection that takes into account the industrial development of the sector and places greater emphasis on production techniques than on regional restrictions. It identifies a product originating from a certain region or town, the quality, reputation, recipe and characteristics of which can trace it back to its geographic origin, and for which at least one production and/or transformation and/or processing phase is specific to that geographic area.

The Italian cured meats with a PGI trademark are:

1.      Speck dell'Alto Adige (Speck ham from Alto Adige)

2.      Bresaola della Valtellina (Wild boar ham from Valtellina)

3.      Prosciutto di Norcia (ham from Norcia)

4.      Mortadella Bologna

5.      Zampone Modena

6.      Cotechino Modena

7.      Salame d'Oca di Mortasa (Goose salami from Mortasa)

8.      Lardo di Colonnata (Lard from Colonnata)

Cured meats are an important source of iron and proteins, the need for both of which increases as a child grows.

The protein content of cured meats can provide all the essential amino acids. Cured meats also contain a type of iron that is highly digestible, such as haem iron. A lack of iron in the body can lead to functional problems in many organs, including the brain.

Cured meats provide most of the nutrients needed by those who play sports. In fact, they contain high quality proteins that can provide all essential amino acids (including branched amino acids) in addition to many micronutrients.
Cured meats also contain creatine (a food supplement often used by professional athletes) and therefore help the body to recover from fatigue or stress.

In Italy, around 5,000 Ministry of Health veterinarians supervise the entire production and distribution system: from the farm to selection of the animals, to processing and even the distribution of finished products.
During animal selection, the vets ensure that there are no defects that could compromise the quality of the end product. The post-slaughter storage of pork meats and the entire production system is controlled by applying HAACP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) standards.

Cured meat products take their name from salt (in Italian ‘sale'). In fact a common storage means is in salt, the oldest and most used preservative in the world.
In the past, salt, along with various spices, was used in consistent quantities to store meat before refrigerators came into use. The situation today has changed a great deal. In effect, the processing technologies have benefited from important innovations that have improved the safety and organoleptic quality of products. These changes, together with a better use of the bacteriostatic properties of aromatic herbs, have allowed a drastic reduction in the quantity of salt used in cured meat production. When eating cured meats, it should also be borne in mind that no more salt is added, which instead is the case with other foods.

Modified-atmosphere or armoured packaging (MAP) is a more highly developed storage method than vacuum packing. The latter, in fact, could change the colour of the cured meats and crush the packaged slices, which could then remain stuck together. MAP instead seeks to solve these problems by removing the oxygen from the packaging and leaving only the other gases normally present in air: nitrogen and carbon dioxide.
This technology produces a product which, even if already sliced, has a long shelf life, offers maximum hygiene guarantees and preserves the characteristics of the freshly sliced cured meat.
To better enjoy the flavour of cured meats packaged in trays under a modified atmosphere, it is advisable to open the pack a couple of minutes before eating. The allows time to release the aromatic components of the product to offer optimum assessment by sense of smell.

Curing helps to improve the digestibility of meat proteins as during this stage digestion is partially aided by the enzymes and bacterial growth that characterise these elements. Naturally, these are "good" bacteria, also known as probiotics.

Even cured meats have adapted to new lifestyles. Once upon a time the calorie content of a food had to be high to help human beings to perform work that was often hard and heavy. Today many jobs are much less manual, and cured meats have adapted to these changes.  The pigs used in cured meat production are much leaner than in the past, and with the help of new technologies it is possible to produce cured meats with a lower fat content without changing the flavour. The quality of the fats has also changed. Unsaturated fats (which play a positive role in combating cholesterolaemia) have increased from 30% to 60% of the total.

The marking Gran Suino Padano PDO certifies that the cuts of fresh meat come from the same breed of pigs used for the classic cured meats with a Protected Declaration of Origin, starting with Parma and San Daniele ham.
"Gran" qualifies the Padana fattening pig, standing for "high quality", "mature", and describes the main characteristics of the pork meat used, representing a larger size compared to that from pigs bred outside the typical production area. A pig grows slowly, in a healthy, controlled environment.
The Padano fattening pig, which has to reach an average weight of 160 kg, provides top quality meat, contains less water and is more full of flavour and taste. They are more mature meats that contribute proteins of a high biological value, vitamins and mineral salts.
"Padano" identifies the Padana plain as the historic area of origin, the real roots of the Gran Suino Padano: it is in this area in fact that a centuries-old wealth of traditions, unique in the world, is found. All Gran Suino Padano production, from breeding of the pigs to their slaughter and packaging of the meats, must take place in the area covered by the certification.
Inspectors and test laboratories carry out over 4,000 controls each year to guarantee the quality, safety and traceability of the Gran Suino Padano.