The Consorcio Serrano Ham
Guarantee of quality 
Guarantee of quality of the Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español
Since 1990, the Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español has been the Association uniting the main Serrano ham producers-exporters in Spain. To independently guarantee product quality is the fundamental guiding principle of this group.
Via continuous inspections and audits, each production plant is strictly assessed in order to verify that they comply with optimum hygiene standards. At the same time, control of the raw materials, the manufacturing process and the most significant part, the finished product, is carried out.
What guarantees a Consorcio Serrano Ham?
The Quality Control Department of the Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español, via quality control and selection piece by piece, seeks to guarantee a product that not only is of high quality but is also homogeneous, with a unique texture, smell and taste that identifies genuine Spanish cured ham as remaining constant over time.
Ham is a very complex product and it is difficult to guarantee its ultimate quality. Therefore, in order to offer a premium Serrano ham, we select the best spanish ham pieces by hand, one by one, from the best producers of Spanish Serrano ham (also known as jamon espanol). Only a limited amount of Spanish Serrano Hams are worthy of the “Exclusive Signature” or Consorcio Serrano Quality Seal.
This seal is only reserved for those Spanish Serrano Hams that comply with the following quality guidelines:
- Compliance with the quality standard of the Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español.
- The production process of Serrano ham takes place exclusively in Spain.
- Hand-picked, one by one, by the Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español (Spanish Serrano Ham Consorcio)
- European TSG (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed) certification, which protects the “Jamón Serrano” designation.
- Average maturation of 12 months (minimum maturation time: 52 weeks).
- Control of the facilities by periodic inspections and audits of the process and product at every production plant.
- Quality guarantee on each piece of Serrano ham using a numbered control label.
| Serrano ham guarantees | |
| Country of Origin | Spain |
| Minimum curing period | 12 months (52 weeks) |
| Private certification | Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español |
| European certification | TSG / Serrano |
| Weight of piece (bone-in) | starting at 6.5 kg |
| Texture, colour and flavour | Firm, red, purple and intense |
Hand selection piece by piece is the secret that allows us to guarantee the homogeneity and regularity of all our Consorcio Serrano hams.
| Fire Seal and the CJSE Control Tag: guaranteed certifications | |
| Origin of the designation | Traditional, historic character, with a private quality label. |
| Legislation of reference | EU regulation 509/06. Private quality guidelines (last amendment of 19/02/2018) |
| Quality countermark | Fire seal on the final product (whole piece). Numbered control label. Logo of the Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español. Generic European TSG (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed) distinctive sign. |
| Scope of legal protection | In all of the EU and as a registered trade mark in most countries. |
| Origin of raw material (fresh/froze ham) | Only Spanish. |
| Place of Production | Spain. |
| Required minimum maturing period | 52 weeks, verified by periodic inspections (365 days). (Verified average of 56 weeks). |
| Minimum required loss (of weight while fresh) | 34% |
| Fat content (fat thickness at the confluence of the knuckle and the hip) | Minimum 1 cm. In addition to assessment of the fat content of the piece as a whole at the time of inspection. |
| Legislation about preservatives | The following are valid: E-250; E-252; E-301 |
| Presentation as the final product | Whole ham (with foot and without foot). All modalities in boned presentations. Semi-boned. Sliced. |
| Control system | Product certification by accredited organization EN-45011. Periodic auditing of the CORSORCIO SERRANO process at each production plant. Final inspection of product, PIECE BY PIECE. |
| Pieces controlled for exportation | Estimated 750,000 annually. |
Why Consorcio Serrano ham?
There is a large variety in the quality of Serrano ham. The Consorcio del Jamón Serrano Español is the association of Spanish producers of Serrano ham that has guaranteed quality with their control seal since 1990, defending the traditional production of authentic Spanish Serrano ham with its seal of quality. 100% hand-picked Serrano ham, the true Spanish ham from Spain, cured for 12 months on average.
- 100% Serrano ham from Spain, matured for an average of 12 months.
- A thorough quality control in traditional production processes
- Spanish ham, hand-picked, piece by piece, ready to eat.
- Identification with the ConsorcioSerrano Quality Seal:
Process and quality controls Ham Consorcio Serrano
| Types of Serrano ham | Serrano ham | Consorcio Serrano ham |
| TGS Guarantee |  |
 This Serrano Spanish Ham Consorcio Seal |
| Origin of raw material | No restrictions | 100% Spanish |
| Minimum maturing period (weeks) | 30 | 52 |
| Inspection and quality control audit | TGS audit | Double audit: TSG + installations and processes |
| Final product selection piece by piece | Not required | Guaranteed regularity. Prime moment for consumption. Uniformity |
| Geographical restriction | U.E. | Spain |
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Traditional Specialty Guaranteed (TSG)Ham of “specific character” that distinguishes it from other similar products of the same category and its method of production or transformation is “traditional”. |