Coppa di Parma

Coppa di Parma is a delicatessen product with "Protected Geographical Indication" (IGP) status. Since the late 17th century, Coppa di Parma has appeared in numerous documents and traveler memoirs, referred to as "bondiola" or "salame investito." The product is produced throughout the provinces of Parma, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Mantova, and Pavia.

Product Features

When served, it has a smooth, cylindrical shape. It should range in length from approximately 25 to 40 cm and weigh no less than 1.3 kg. When cut, the slice should be free of yellow or soft fat, which indicates poor ripening, and the interior should be free of mold.

Its organoleptic characteristics include a typical meat taste with sufficient proteolytic breakdown in the lean part and lipolytic breakdown in the fatty part resulting from maturation; it is free of foreign flavors and has the right level of saltiness.

It has a medium consistency when touched and cut, easily separates from the gut, and shows no oiliness or film on its surface. There is a homogeneity between the interior and exterior, indicating gradual dehydration and maturation. The slice color is unblemished and uniform, with the lean portion being red and the fatty portion a pinkish hue. In terms of chemical and physico-chemical parameters, the salt content should be less than 5%, the total protein content should be at least 22% (min. 22), the water/protein ratio should be at most 2.00 (max. 2.00), and the pH should be greater than 5.7.

Production Area

The Coppa di Parma production area encompasses the entire administrative territory of the provinces of Parma, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Mantova, and Pavia, as well as the municipalities along the Po River in the administrative districts of Lodi (e.g., Senna Lodigiano, Ospedaletto Lodigiano), Milan (San Colombano al Lambro), and Cremona (e.g., Pizzighettone, Cremona, Casalmaggiore). Geographically, this area is characterized by hilly areas that slope down to a plain, extending beyond the borders of the province of Parma to the northern shore of the Po River.

Production Method

Coppa di Parma is produced from the meat of traditional breed pigs. The pigs used must be at least nine months old.

• Meat Used: The product is obtained from the muscle mass in the neck of the pig (adjacent to the cervical and thoracic vertebrae). The meat must never be frozen.

• Preparation: The muscles are cleaned, excess fat is cut (shaving) and the piece is given a cylindrical shape of approximately 25-40 cm in length and at least 2 kg in weight.

• Ingredients: The basic ingredients used are 2.6% to 3.5% salt, natural flavors, pepper, and/or other spices. Additionally, nitrites and nitrates (sodium/potassium), sugars, wine, and starter cultures may be used.

• Salting and Aging: Salting can be done manually or mechanically. This process takes 6 to 10 days at a temperature between 0.5 and 4 degrees Celsius, which promotes osmosis and water loss. After salting, the coppa is massaged and aged in cool rooms between 0.5 and 5 degrees Celsius for a minimum of five days.

• Encasing and Tying: The rested product is stuffed into beef or pork intestines and tied lengthwise and spirally.

• Smoking and Drying: During the smoking phase, the temperature is raised to approximately 18°C ​​over 8-10 hours. Drying begins at 13 to 23°C and continues with a 12-15 day phase where the temperature is lowered to below 14°C and relative humidity is controlled.

• Ripening: Coppa is ripened at temperatures between 12 and 16 degrees Celsius and relative humidity between 70 and 87%. The total ripening period is at least 60 days for products weighing up to 2.6 kg and at least 90 days for heavier products.

Commercial Presentation and Control

Coppa di Parma can be marketed whole, vacuum-packed or vacuum-packed, as a cut of veal (a cut from the haunch of a calf), or vacuum-packed or vacuum-packed. Slicing and packaging in vacuum or vacuum-packed must be carried out on-site and under the supervision of a regulatory body. For whole products, slicing may only be done at the retailer's slaughterhouse and in the presence of the end consumer.

Due to the sensitivity of the product and its short shelf life (rich in unsaturated fatty acids and poor in preservatives), slicing and packaging operations should be carried out by a professional.

Control is carried out by ECEPA. The label must display the name "Coppa di Parma", the phrase "Protected Geographical Indication" (Indicazione Geografica Protetta) or the abbreviation "IGP", the Community graphic symbol and the company brand in clear and indelible characters.